Re: Caught in the Crossfire
by Aku Blossom
Summary: The Powerpuff Girls suddenly find themselves caught between two warring factions. Personal anxieties, terrifying new enemies, and a past life they never saw coming lead them into a war older than the universe itself. The circle is coming to a close.
1. I'm a Very Good Liar

_Forward: This was a very big story...both in length and in its influence on my life. It was something I had never written before, and finally putting it to paper was a relief. It was accepting things about myself that I had always tried to hide._

_It's old, very old, and I've actually tried to forget I wrote it. Maybe, even after how liberating it felt to write it, I was still ashamed. This is my way of again, trying to accept myself. This seems like a very big to do for just another story from that author no one gives a crap about. Maybe it is, but this story was, and still is, very important to me._

_This is a rewrite, from the ground up, of Caught in the Crossfire. If you want to find the original, it's #1203 if you search all ratings on . Anyone who has read it before, and I'm sure these people don't exist anymore, the story is largely unchanged. Same basic plot, same basic story, hell...even the same chapter titles. But this is a director's cut, a balls-out full-fledged explosion of rebirth. I am...infinitely a better writer than I was four years ago. I'm a much better person than I was four years ago._

_This is, without a doubt, a story written for myself. I don't expect anyone to read it again—I am amazed anyone read it before—but I just have to try it again. I have to get it right before I can let it go. I promise...if you read the story before and liked it, it's going to be even better this time. If you hated it before...it's going to be even worse this time._

_I've rambled too long now. I apologize, you were expecting a story involving the Powerpuff Girls when you clicked. If you're my friends, I'd ask you not to read this. It may very well ruin what demented perception of me you may already have. Then again..._

_Like I told a friend before, sometimes you find people who won't let go. _

_Thanks for reading everyone, I'll try to make it worth the effort._

_Sincerely,_

_Kevin Ivy_

* * *

**Re: Caught in the Crossfire**

**By Kevin Ivy**

**I: I'm a Very Good Liar**

_Time...moves in a twisted, chaotic...but so beautifully textured pattern. Random moments, impossibly minute slips through the cracks of perception, come back hundreds—if not thousands—of eons later. Everything in this world moves in a...delicate circle. A precious and hidden roulette wheel. This never-ending cycle is a masterpiece, crafted by the greatest of all craftsmen. A circle began in the beginning...shall shortly close._

_Before mortal life took form, those who came to be before all things have been at odds. Where beyond strife and anxiety, those who shaped it all lazed in eternal paradise, at the very heart of chaos itself, new life was born. The pebble had been cast into the pond, and the ripples were formed. Two great god rose out of the abyss and created a great world of darkness._

_Ah...but all was not well as lesser creatures, made in their image, came to be. These two gods __could not stand the thought of either holding dominance over himself. And so, the ripples expanded and became a horrendous war. The most beautiful war ever crafted. They tore apart this newborn Hell, seeking to be its only master. In the end...one triumphed over the other, who fled in shame._

_The Black One was not satisfied with his victory...after all, his brother had escaped to recover some day. In his fury, the demon god fell upon the sacred Paradise, seeking to destroy the very creatures who paved the way for his own creation. This...was not in the cards. Though he succeeded in stealing the lives of these ethereal creatures, his victory came at great cost. Nearly all of his great, and terrible, power was forever locked away. The demon god, had become a mere shadow of his former self._

_What of his brother? Here...is where this greatest of all stories becomes far more interesting. He fled, not to a new plain on the edge of the immortal realm beyond reality, but to the mortal plain. Here he found the means by which he could...in time, find his revenge. He brought up from the ground his own world, and from the darkness within, he began to recover his awesome powers._

_Of course, this god knew of his brother's fall. But he could not return in triumph. Not so soon. It...was not in the cards. So he stayed, and waited, and watched, and planned. One day...everything became clear. Both brothers turned to the mortal world, both brothers turned...to the seat of the Red One's power. Here...man had made God from the machine. Here...the frigid stalemate was broken, and countless millenia of planning and hatred began to come together._

_How masterfully genius, how perfectly crafted. The circle has now begun to close at last, the ripples are quickly becoming great tidal waves. The war for Hell itself...decided by sugar, spice, and everything nice._

_This tangled web comes undone...and my will is done._

* * *

The City of Townsville had seen an unnatural influx of a strange and uplifting condition known as 'peace' over the last few weeks. For the greater part of the city, it was a cause for celebration and relaxation. For others, it was a puzzling phenomenon. Townsville wasn't known for its downtime. If anything, it only made the coming disaster that much more terrible. To the leader of the Powerpuff Girls, ten year old Blossom Utonium, the period of silence was more unnerving than it was soothing.

Blossom walked down the street, in no hurry to return home, with her arms loaded with books. The trip to the library had somewhat eased her worries. Still, at her core Blossom felt worried.

"It's like...a calm before the storm. I haven't seen Him...or Mojo...anyone in almost three weeks. What in the world is going on? What's about to happen?" She casually turned her eyes up to the sky, absentmindedly shifting her books and brushing her long bangs from her eyes. In an effort to relax, she'd left her hair down. Looking back, she realized it was proving to be more annoying than it was helpful.

"I should probably get home...Bubbles said something about a movie," She grinned and started to take to the sky, just as she passed by Townsville Central Park. Blossom stopped abruptly, noticing a strange movement from the corner of her eye. She turned and stared across the street, where she noticed something puzzling. Previously, the park had been relatively empty, after all the sun was beginning to set and the evening breeze was a tad chilly. Now a girl, roughly her age, stood rigidly across from her, facing away from Blossom.

"That's odd...she wasn't there before..." Technically speaking, Blossom hadn't really been paying close attention to the park. What led her to believe that the girl had not previously been there, was just how ostentatiously she stood out from the scenery. For one, the girl's hair was almost as long as Blossom's, and pale pink to boot! Blossom gently floated back to the ground, sandals clacking softly against her heels. The pink-haired girl in the park sharply turned and looked at her, so quickly Blossom jumped.

'Did she hear me land? I wasn't...wasn't that loud...' The girl's indifferent expression became a bright and cheerful smile. She waved at Blossom frantically. Blossom blinked and returned the wave, as well as she could with her arms loaded. The girl began to hurry toward Blossom. Her more heroic instincts took over and, without real reason, Blossom started to size up the newcomer. She was a few inches taller than Blossom herself and had a sporty build. Blossom's eyes fell on the bouncing necklace around the girl's neck.

'A crucifix...that's cool,' She thought with a smile. The girl stopped in front of Blossom, panting slightly.

"Hey! I wasn't sure if you saw me!" Blossom smiled and nodded.

"Well, it's not like there's anyone else around," The girl chuckled and nodded, looking around sheepishly. The two were alone, save for the occasional car passing by. She smiled and looked up at Blossom, allowing the puff to get a close look at her icy-blue eyes.

"Yeah you've got a point, hey listen, you're Blossom right? The Powerpuff Leader?" Blossom nodded and carefully adjusted her books, accepting the hand held her way. Blossom mentally noted that the girl had a very strong handshake...and that she held on just a tad longer than Blossom was comfortable.

"Yes, I am. It's very nice to meet you..." The girl grinned and finally let go of Blossom's hand. She quickly shoved her hands into her pockets, never breaking eye contact with the Powerpuff...despite the other's efforts to do just that.

"Belial. My name is Belial," For some reason, Blossom shuddered. Belial was a demon's name, which would certainly explain how uneasy she felt next to this girl.

'Not that I have a reason to be...she's been nothing but nice to me, still...' She thought. Belial's grin finally dulled to a casual smile. She chuckled and brushed her bangs out of her face.

"Sorry, I really shouldn't have just rushed you like this. It was just so unbelievable to actually see you in the flesh. I've heard a lot about you," Blossom beamed, her ego swelling. She adjusted her hold on her books again, and laughed off Belial's concerns.

"No, it's alright. I wasn't in a hurry. Are you new in town?" Belial's smile...changed somehow. Blossom couldn't put her finger on it, but it quickly put her on the edge again.

"I wouldn't say completely new, I just haven't been here in about five years," Blossom nodded.

"Did you have to switch schools?" Belial nodded, looking up at the sky. She crossed her arms and grinned. Blossom gave a subtle sigh of relief. She had finally managed to break eye contact with the weird girl.

"Something like that, yeah. Listen I'm a huge fan of yours. You are, without a doubt, my biggest inspiration in life," Blossom flushed and giggled, feeling her ego swell again. She stood up straight and cleared her throat, willingly meeting Belial's gaze now.

"Why thank you! I don't think anyone has ever said that to me..." Belial nodded and turned her head, almost like she was looking around them. Her necklace popped out of her tank top again, and Blossom managed to get a close look at it. As superficial as it was, her stomach churned when she noticed something she'd previously missed. The crucifix on the necklace was upside-down—it almost felt like the upside-down image of Jesus was looking right into her.

"Um...hey well, I think I should get going...it's been um...very nice meeting you," Blossom was ashamed by how fake her own explanation seemed. Belial looked back at her quickly, confusion etched on her face.

"Oh...really? Well...I guess that's alright," As she started to walk by Belial, Blossom mulled over the girl's choice of words. Something about the inflection startled her. Blossom heard shoes sliding on the ground behind her and could practically feel Belial's blue eyes on her back, "I wouldn't recommend it though," Blossom froze, swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. Belial's voice had lost all of the sweetness it had before. It was...a little lower and very condescending.

"W...What do you mean?" Blossom turned around and gasped, dropping her books. Belial's nose was brushing against hers. The previously cheerful grin had turned venomous and evil. Belial casually reached up and patted Blossom's cheek. Blossom flushed and clenched her fists.

"I mean...it's so much easier to lose with your back to your enemy," Blossom's eyes widened, but before she could react, she was shoved violently to the side, into the hood of an oncoming car. She slammed into the windshield and rolled over the car, landing in a painful thud on the pavement. The man started to stop, but a ray of heat slammed into his car, destroying it and killing him in a bright explosion.

"Who...who are you?" Blossom asked, climbing to her feet and taking a more battle ready stance. Belial just continued to stalk toward her with a wicked grin.

"For one...I'm a very good liar," Blossom glared and took a swing at Belial as she kept approaching. Belial slapped Blossom's hand away and retaliated with a right hook that dropped the hero to the ground. Blossom gasped and pushed herself up. Belial roughly kicked her in the stomach, knocking her onto her back. She whistled and grinned, standing over the already cringing hero.

"Wow! Two whole hits! That has to be some kind of record for you, huh? How's it feel, losing so hard?" Blossom growled and climbed to her feet, throwing a small barrage of punches on her way up. Belial barely budged, leaning and tilting her head away from the strikes. Blossom's face began to grow red, her attacks flying faster and faster. Belial's hands shot up, snatching her wrists and roughly holding them in place.

"What...in the world are you?" Belial smiled sweetly and leaned close to Blossom, her breath ticking her ear.

"I'm sort of like you...only evil and so much stronger," Blossom emitted a sharp squeak, her knees trembling beneath her. She slumped forward, resting on Belial's raised knee. The pink-haired girl stepped back, catching Blossom by her face and holding her up. Blowing mockingly, she shoved her backward. Blossom wrapped her arms around her waist, curling up and gasping for air. As she started to sit up, Belial roughly stomped down on Blossom's chest, pinning her to the ground.

"Why...w-why are you d...doing this?" Belial rested her cheek on her hand and leaned forward on her knee, grinning cheekily at Blossom. Though the look tried to fake innocence, there was something predatory in Belial's eyes that kept Blossom on the edge.

"Well you're just so adorable, I couldn't help myself! Ya'see, I heard a whole lot about you. So much, but...well, I'm not supposed to be here. So we'll make the best of this while we can!" Belial stomped hard on Blossom, driving the air from her lungs. She dropped down, straddling Blossom's hips and effortlessly pinning her arms above her head with one arm. Blossom swallowed and felt a paralyzing fear rising in her chest. Belial giggled and leaned in close, her breath brushing against Blossom's lips.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," She whispered deviously. Blossom tensed up when she felt Belial's hand slipping up her pink blouse. Her breath caught in her throat as Belial's fingers lightly brushed against her stomach. Belial's grin brightened as Blossom began to squirm uncomfortably beneath her. Belial spidered her fingers further up Blossom's blouse, teasingly kneading her ribs and slithering down her side.

"St...Stop it...wh...why are you..." Blossom swallowed hard and bit her lip. Her cheeks were flushed and every so often she twitched violently. Belial just continued to leer at her.

"What do you think I'm doing?" She whispered, scratching a little faster across Blossom's stomach. The Powerpuff squealed and giggled, trying hard to dismount her attacker. Her futile efforts to extricate herself from her predicament only made Belial's grin widen.

"Stop tickling me! Cut it out!" Blossom managed to get out between giggles. Belial giggled and, in response, tickled Blossom harder. The pink puff gasped and laughed a little harder, coughing and struggling to catch her breath. Belial slowly licked her lips, leaning forward so that she was nose to nose with Blossom once more.

"But I don't wanna...ya'see, this is the whole reason I came here. It was totally worth it..." Blossom tried to slam her head against Belial's, but her opponent just avoided the attack. The pink-haired attacker firmly pressed Blossom's head against the ground with her elbow. She teasingly leaned in close, her breath tickling Blossom's ear. She relished the shudder that ran through the pink puff's body.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that...we're just getting warmed up," Blossom laughed harder as Belial's fingers trailed their way up to her ribs again. She had to wonder just how far her strange assailant intended on taking this. Belial lightly kissed Blossom's ear, seemingly confirming the heroine's worst fears. She looked with a disconnected sense of confusion when Blossom's eyes began to water.

"No...please don't..." Blossom forced out between pained giggles. Belial licked her lips and took on a wicked expression. Before she could respond, Belial caught sight of the clock tower in the distance. She abruptly sat up, releasing her hold on Blossom. She scowled and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Dammit...has it been that long already? Dad is going to be so mad at me...great, fine, whatever," Belial growled and clenched her fists tightly. She looked down at Blossom with a mocking wink. Blossom pushed herself up on her elbows, a couple tears rolling down her cheeks. Belial stood up and crossed her arms.

"Looks like its your lucky day, I have to go before the good stuff starts," Belial sighed and growled. In her anger she came across far more menacing than before. She fixed her gaze on Blossom, all friendly disposition gone. The pink-haired superhuman looked like a lion eying a gazelle.

"Next time, we'll do this for real," A curtain of darkness wrapped around Belial, and in a split instant she was gone. Blossom stared at the spot where Belial had vanished, trying to find her breath. She lightly rubbed her stomach and sat up, staring down at the grass. Her eyes were still wide, still horrified. What fate, exactly, had she avoided?

"Who...who was she?" She choked out. Her mouth was dry as cotton, and her throat was sore. Blossom swallowed and dizzily climbed to her feet. A more important question, she realized, was how could she fight someone that powerful? As she ventured back to her fallen library books, a pair of strange eyes watched her go. The unseen spy also looked back to where Belial had vanished and gave a soft sigh. A second veil of darkness removed the unseen spy from the now silent park.


	2. Blazing Encounter: The First Blood Falls

**Re: Caught in the Crossfire**

**By Kevin Ivy**

**Author's Note: Before this chapter is over I'll probably lose half of the ten readers I had. It just starts piling up from here.**

**II: Blazing Encounter; The First Blood Falls**

Blossom flung open the front door, kicking off her shoes rushing for the stairs. Her head was spinning, and frankly she still felt utterly embarrassed by her shameful defeat at the park. She slowed momentarily, hearing a voice call out from the living room.

"Hey! Blossom! What took you so long?"Buttercup called out. Blossom paused at the foot of the stairs. Judging by the sounds coming from the living room, the two were playing a video game. She heard the tell-tale beep of the game pausing and realized she was about to be interrogating.

"Blossom? You wanna come play with us?" Bubbles asked, a tinge of worry in her voice. Blossom bit her lip, turning cautiously back toward the living room. Her cheeks flared up and she quickly shook her head.

"N-No everything is fine I'm...I'm gonna study!" As quickly as she could—without looking suspicious—she rushed up the stairs and closed herself away in the bedroom. Bubbles frowned and leaned further, trying to see the stairs around the corner. It wasn't typical to hear her red-haired sister so flustered. If anything she, Bubbles, was the one to act that way.

"She seemed funny, Buttercup. Do you think something is wrong?" Bubbles realized that there were noises in the background and whipped around. While she had been distracted with Blossom, Buttercup had taken the liberty of resuming the game. By the time Bubbles noticed, "Player 1 Wins!" was flashing victoriously across the screen. Bubbles flared up and hit Buttercup with the nearest pillow.

"You cheater! I wasn't ready to start playing again yet!" Buttercup laughed and tore the pillow from Bubbles' grip, grinning smugly at her irate blonde sister.

"Hey, you gotta want to win!" Bubbles fumed and crossed her arms, glaring at the mocking display on the television. Buttercup was still laughing, making her angrier with every chortle. Bubbles whipped around at Buttercup and hit her with her harshest glare. Buttercup only snickered and waved her hand dismissively.

"You're making such a big deal out of a stupid game," Bubbles huffed and pointed a finger at Buttercup.

"You're a cheater! You cheat every time and then say its my fault!" Buttercup grabbed Bubbles' finger and pulled her close, so the two were eye to eye. Buttercup just grinned.

"Tough," Bubbles frowned and shoved her sister back. Buttercup glared and grinned mischievously. Bubbles swallowed, recognizing the look. Before she could climb to her feet, Buttercup lunged at her, pulling the blue puff into a dishearteningly uncomfortable headlock. Bubbles hissed and whimpered, with one arm pulled up over her head, the other pinned behind her back, and her head itself locked in the crook of Buttercup's elbow.

"Ow! Stop! I can't breath!" Buttercup rolled her eyes and roughly tussled her sister's blonde hair. Bubbles whined and struggled to pull away.

"Say it!" Bubbles tried biting Buttercup's arm, but she was just out of her reach. Bubbles cried—half seriously and half playfully—and sighed.

"Alright! I didn't want to win! Now let me go!" Buttercup chuckled and released her hold. Bubbles sat up, rubbing her neck and sniffling. She kept her blue eyes on the floor, between her feet. Buttercup sighed and crossed her arms, staring at the still flashing television screen. After a few seconds of sniffling and silence, Buttercup turned to Bubbles with a raised eyebrow.

"You alright?" Bubbles nodded, and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Buttercup nodded and playfully punched her in the shoulder. Bubbles giggled and picked up her controller. The two started the match over, this time free of cheating or sneaky victories.

"Buttercup! You're cheating again!"

"I am not!"

* * *

Oblivious to the action taking place downstairs, Blossom lay on her part of the bed still shared by the sisters. Scarcely blinking, she stared up at the spinning ceiling fan. She breathed in slow, deep breathes. The helplessness was really beginning to set in. It wasn't uncommon that they encountered an enemy that was difficult but...

"We've never...been so...so outclassed..." The Rowdyruff Boys were somewhat stronger, but they were still on the same level. Mojo had yet to build a robot they couldn't eventually tear apart. Even Him...well they had never truly fought Him, had they? Of all the enemies they did fight though...

"I couldn't even touch her..." Blossom gasped and jumped, sitting up abruptly at a knock on the door. The door creaked open and the Professor peaked in, smiling comfortingly. Blossom relaxed and slowly smiled, looking down at her feet, toes brushing against the carpet.

"Hey Dad...sorry I was late coming home," The Professor sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. Blossom looked up, wincing when she noticed the worry etched on his face. Blossom tried to offer a disarming smile, but it felt wrong, even from her end.

"What's wrong, honey? You seem upset," Blossom sighed and rested her cheeks on her hands. The Professor became even more worried, watching his daughter grapple with whatever had happened. Blossom finally nodded and licked her lips.

"If I...if I tell you, you have to promise to not tell Bubbles or Buttercup...please..." The Professor nodded, hugging her tightly.

"Of course, you know I'm no jabber jaw," Blossom giggled softly and nodded. Her smile vanished, becoming a distant stare of discontent. She fiddled with her hands in her lap and bounced her heels against the bed. The Professor swallowed, bracing himself for the worst. He hadn't seen her so distraught since the day she forgot to study for a test in second grade.

"I was...I went to the library...just like I said. I found a lot of really great books, I think I'm going to really enjoy reading them!" Her excitement tapered off and disappeared once more. Blossom lowered her head. She clasped her hands and looked back up at the Professor.

"I saw this girl...she just came out of nowhere and started to talk to me. I admit, I behaved in a very immature fashion, but I got nervous while I was speaking with her and tried to leave. She just...attacked me...she said she came to Townsville just to beat me up!" Blossom swallowed and laid her head against the Professor's side. She was abridging the story, no doubt, but the actual details of her fight weren't important. The Professor rubbed her shoulder, nodding.

"I see...judging by how you've been acting, I assume she won the fight?" Blossom nodded, biting her lips again. Her father gave her a kiss on the head and a tight squeeze.

"I...don't tell anyone, but I'm afraid. Dad, it wasn't even a fight! It was just her knocking me around...I don't think I even hit her once!" That stuck a chord with the scientist. Protectively, he pulled her just a little closer, pulling her into a tighter hug. Blossom sniffled and laid against him, hands still fidgeting with her skirt.

"Well don't you worry...we'll think of something," The Professor pulled back and gave his daughter a wry grin, "If anyone can figure this out, it's the two smartest people in Townsville, huh?" Blossom giggled and blushed, puffing up with pride. Her dad chuckled and lovingly tussled her hair.

"That's my girl. Now let's go downstairs and get some supper," Blossom nodded and followed the scientist out of the room. Though they were both smiling, inside both were working at a mile a minute, trying to figure out a way to overcome the seemingly invincible new enemy that had appeared.

* * *

The following day, when school had let out and the children of Pokey Oaks Elementary School were set free on the city of Townsville, Bubbles and Buttercup found themselves alone. Blossom flew home with barely a goodbye. So, rather than rushing home and wasting a warm spring afternoon, the two decided to go flying through the city.

"Blossom and Daddy are both acting funny," Bubbles said as they passed over the beach. While they flew, Bubbles flew down and watched her reflection race across the waves. Giggling, she dragged her finger through the rushing water. Buttercup rolled her eyes and watched in mild amusement.

"I dunno, probably ain't important," Bubbles looked up, flying on her back and lightly trailing her fingers through the water. Buttercup had to admit, the ripples it left behind looked very cool from above.

"You really think so?" Buttercup nodded and started to fly higher, as the coastline started to come into view ahead of the two. Bubbles frowned and quickly joined her sister in the clouds. She couldn't accept that nothing was going on. Blossom had seemed to distressed the night before. She kept rubbing her stomach and looked like she was in pain.

"What do you wanna do now, Bubbles?" The two drifted down to a lazy hover, casually swimming through the fluffy white clouds that filled the Townsville sky. Bubbles shrugged, peering down at the city below. She blinked and quickly rubbed her eyes. Bubbles gasped when she saw it again. Two people had just appeared from nowhere in the middle of Townsville park.

"Buttercup! Look!" Buttercup opened her eyes and rolled over, zooming in on the two individuals Bubbles had pointed out. Two girls, both around the Utonium sisters' age. One had shock white hair tied up in two messy pigtails; the other had long ash gray hair. Buttercup shrugged, floating down closer to Bubbles.

"What about them? They have stupid hair, big deal," Bubbles shook her head and began to descend as subtly as she could. It wasn't often that Bubbles got intense, Buttercup wasn't about to question her; the brunette followed her sister toward the grassy ground below. As they hovered toward the Earth, they could scarcely hear the conversation between the two. White Hair was clearly displeased with Gray Hair's presence.

"I can't believe this...of all the humiliating assignments I could be given, I was sent on a recon mission with you!" White Hair barked, her voice rough like broken glass. Gray Hair sighed and looked to the side, ignoring that her hair spilled over her face.

"I'm sorry..." White Hair huffed and crossed her arms, keeping a lethal glare on Gray Hair. The thought of White Hair's vicious orange eyes killing anyone seemed none too far-fetched. Bubbles and Buttercup ducked into the trees, trying to keep a close watch. White Hair stalked over to Gray Hair and jerked her around, holding onto her collar.

"So where are they? Huh? I thought you said they were here? I don't see them!" The last part was spat in Gray Hair's face. To her part, Gray Hair remained somewhat steadfast, though the sisters puff could see a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I...I swear. I know I saw her, I saw Belial here, just yest...just yesterday!" She swallowed and looked away from White Hair, trying to subtly wipe her eyes—failing miserably. White Hair sneered and looked away, audibly growling.

"This is so humiliating...all of my power wasted sucking down Earth air with a pathetic little crybaby!" Gray Hair wiped her eyes faster and glanced back at White Hair. Bubbles and Buttercup tensed up when they saw the gray-haired girl slowly look up and stare directly at them. She swallowed and stood up straight, putting on what qualified for a more determined expression. White Hair noticed the change in her cohort and glanced back, following her line of vision. When her eyes met the puff's, a sinister grin broke out across the first girl's face.

"Maybe you aren't a total failure," The white-haired girl commented while slowly turning to face the puff's fully. Realizing that they'd been caught, the sisters vacated their hiding spot and faced down the two. White Hair quickly frowned and growled, turning to Gray Hair in a fury.

"That's not them! You stupid little idiot! They aren't the Malebolge brats!" Gray Hair blinked, keeping a careful watch on the puffs. Her resolution faltered and she looked away, rubbing her eyes again. The white-haired girl scowled and turned it on the Powerpuff Girls. As she sized them up, she seemed to get angrier every time her eyes twitched. Knowing that one of them would have to, Buttercup stepped into the leader position.

"Alright who are you two? And uh...why were we spying on them?" She turned to Bubbles at the end, giving her sister a questioning shrug. Bubbles swallowed—again Buttercup was stunned by her sister's intensity. She put on her game face and turned back to the newcomers.

"I saw them...just appear out of nowhere!" Bubbles explained quietly. Buttercup nodded and kept her fists at her sides. White Hair turned on Gray Hair again, bristling.

"Someone saw us?! Do you have any idea how to do your job? It's not like its difficult! We can't even create an easier job! You were supposed to make sure it was clear before we passed through!" Gray Hair had her back turned to them, but given the rigidity of her form, she was on the verge of tears once more. The others could just barely hear her mumbling under her breath. White Hair shook her head and turned to the Powerpuff Girls, growling.

"Who are you?" Buttercup narrowed her eyes, taking a protective step in front of Bubbles.

"I asked you first!" She retorted. White Hair slowly clenched her fists, her knuckles crackling loudly. Her snarl faded away, but her eyes—now deadly slits—stayed focused on Buttercup. Bubbles gulped nervously and decided to take the higher ground.

"We're the Powerpuff Girls! We just want to know what you're doing here," Blood gave Bubbles a sideways glance, and then turned her eyes on Buttercup again. The orange-eyed girl spit, and relaxed her hands, clenching them again.

"I'm Blood...now get lost...I'm waiting for someone I'm supposed to kill," Bubbles and Buttercup tensed up, instinctively getting into fighting stances. Blood growled and hunched slightly. Her cheeks turned red, and her entire body began to tremble. Buttercup narrowed her eyes and slid a bit closer, again trying to get between Bubbles and Blood. The other girl still had her back to them, but now she was glancing at Blood.

"You ain't killing anyone," Blood lowered her head and swallowed hard. She turned abruptly, glaring at the Gray Haired girl.

"Blaze, deal with the blonde. I'm going to tear every single bone out of this big mouthed pathetic human!" Buttercup growled and took a step forward to attack. She gasped. She wasn't ready for the fist knocking her, not just off her feet, but flying into the treetops behind them. Buttercup flew so hard, she came out of the canopy spiraling uncontrollably. Bubbles gasped and spun around.

"Buttercup!" Blood jumped into the air and floated there, throwing a dangerous finger in Gray Hair's direction.

"You hear me Blaze! Take care of her! Can't you handle that?!" Blaze slowly nodded, turning toward Bubbles. Bubbles turned around to face Blaze, who took a step backward.

Blood took off through the air, colliding with Buttercup in the sky. Buttercup had any air she'd managed to recover forced from her lungs. She forced her eyes open, watching helplessly as a fist crashed into her nose and knocked her into a hole in the ground. Buttercup started to sit up, but screamed out—choking up blood that poured down her lips—as Blood landed feet first on her stomach. Blood jumped back and breathed heavily, glaring at Buttercup. The green puff slowly climbed to her feet, promptly doubling over and vomiting out blood.

"What? That's it?! Don't you dare be serious! You had better be joking! I swear in the name of Hell, you'd better be joking!" Blood screamed, overflowing with an uncontrollable fury. Bubbles watched in horror, starting to run to her sister's defense.

"Buttercup!" She stopped when she heard a weak voice behind her.

"Wait! You...you have to fight me! Not her!" Bubbles turned around and stared at Blaze. The gray-haired girl took another nervous step back. Peaking through her hair, Bubbles could see her dull red eyes. Bubbles stood up straight and narrowed her eyes. As hard as she was trying to be strong, she realized that if Blaze was even half as strong as Blood, her odds of winning weren't good at all.

"What are you two doing in Townsville? Just tell me and we can stop this!" Blaze bit her lip and looked to the side. She watched Blood and quickly shook her head.

"I can't tell you..." She whispered. Bubbles sighed and took a lunge at Blaze. She could hear Buttercup taking a beating behind her, she didn't have time to waste asking questions. Blaze stepped back, avoiding the attack. She brought her fists up to her chest and clenched them, chewing on her lip. Bubbles took another swing at Blaze and another, every successive attack just as ineffective as the one before it. She caught her breath and glared at Blaze.

"Just fight me! I...if I can't save Buttercup, at least give me a reason!" Blaze blinked and stared back in confusion. Bubbles took that opportunity to charge her. Blaze blinked and managed to dodge the attack at the last second. Intentional or not, Bubbles stumbled and fell forward. Blaze gasped and quickly caught her waist before she fell.

"Careful!" As she was righting Bubbles, she glanced back to watch the other fight.

Buttercup swallowed and took a swing at her advancing attacker. Blood grabbed her fist and without missing a beat, crushed it in her grip. The air filled with the sound of bones crunching and grinding together. Buttercup screamed and instinctively threw her other fist at Blood. The orange-eyed monster just caught it and repeated the process, snarling.

"You just don't learn! Do you!? Idiot! I hate idiots like you! Big talk, but so weak! I hate weaklings!" Blood jerked Buttercup forward and kneed her in the stomach. The attack hit with so much force that, had Blood not kept a grinding hold on Buttercup's hands odds were the green puff would have been in orbit. She repeated the same attack, twice, thrice, five times total before finally letting the puff crumple to the ground.

"Blaze! I don't hear anything back there! Take care of that stupid blonde girl!" Blaze swallowed, yet again on the defensive, dodging and weaving around Bubbles' attacks. The blonde puff looked absolutely flustered. No matter what she threw at the gray-haired girl, it was too slow to ever catch her. Bubbles clenched her eyes shut and stomped her foot.

"I don't have time for this, I have to save my sister!" She turned and started to fly into the other fight. Blaze gasped and jumped forward, snatching Bubbles by her ankle. To the heroine's shock, her red-eyed opponent was able to hold her back. Blaze tugged Bubbles back, dropping her to the ground. She looked up and noticed Blood giving her a death glare. Blaze bit her lip and dropped down, pinning Bubbles' ankle between her crossed legs. Bubbles tugged and pulled at the ground, but was stuck.

"Let me go! I have to help her!" Blaze licked her lips and shook her head. Her eyes drifted down Bubbles' back to the foot locked tightly between her legs.

"I'm sorry...I can't," Blaze apologized, watching her foot wiggle as much as the leg lock allowed. Bubbles pounded her fists on the ground and kept struggling,trying disparately to get free. The way she was laying, she had a front row seat to watching Buttercup's brutal beat down. Blaze swallowed and looked up, watching Blood again. She quickly looked down at Bubbles' foot and then looked up at Bubbles herself. She blushed fiercely and tugged on the heel of Bubbles' shoe. Bubbles tensed up, turning around and trying to get a clear look at Blaze.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Blaze set her sneaker to the side, yet again swallowing the nervous lump building in her throat. She looked up and made eye contact with Bubbles. The puff was confused; frankly Blaze was as well. She smiled an awkward and very nervous smile. Bubbles narrowed her eyes in bewilderment. Her eyes widened and a goofy grin spread across her face. Bubbles snorted and fell forward on her elbows, giggling in both surprise and involuntary reaction. Blaze licked her lips, lightly scratching across the sole of Bubbles' socked foot.

"Cut it out! Stop that's not fair!" Bubbles cried, hitting the ground and tugging even harder than before to get free. Blaze giggled softly and bit her lip, lightly tickling Bubbles' toes. She became so entranced watching the captured appendage twitch and shake, and so excited by the sound of her opponent's melodious giggles, that Blaze quickly forgot about the violent assault taking place just a few yards away.

'She's cute...' Blaze thought, slowly tugging at the heel of Bubbles' sock, pulling it down to reveal her bare heel.

"Oh no!" She heard Bubbles gasp out. Somehow, that exclamation brought a bigger grin to Blaze's face. As she kept slowly tugging her sock off, she started tickling the newly exposed skin. She lightly scratched her heel, gently caressing around her foot and up to her ankles, then back down again. Bubbles had buried her face in her arms, giving up any hope of escaping. Soft demeanor or not, Blaze was stronger than she was. Blaze felt a giddy rush of excitement, finally pulling the sock over Bubbles' toes and letting it drop on the grass next to her.

"Please...just let me help my sister," Bubbles begged, lifting her eyes when she heard a resounding snap. Bubbles watched a tree tumble over, and faintly heard Buttercup cry out. Blaze hadn't heard her at all. She was too entranced, resting her cheek on her hand and staring. Bubbles' toes were clenched tightly, the only defense she had left. Blaze faintly licked her lips and began to trace the wrinkles in Bubbles' scrunched sole. Bubbles giggled wildly, clawing at the grass and pressing her face against the ground. Blaze giggled when she lightly tickled Bubbles' toes, causing her foot to spasm and stretch.

"Cut it out! Please!" Bubbles squeaked out, struggling to regain her composure. Blaze's giddy smile kept growing as she teasingly stroked her fingers across Bubbles' now frantic foot. Her eyes never left her target, tracing every endearing detail. Blaze took a deep breath and sighed. She nervously looked up, remembering that Blood was somewhere in the vicinity. She smiled brightly, seeing the white-haired girl very far away, and very preoccupied.

'I always wanted to...' She thought scandalously. She felt like a sensational rush, the kind that only accompanied an act that intentionally broke the rules. Blaze uncrossed her legs, catching Bubbles' ankle with her free hand and locking it once more between her knees. Giggling in anticipation, she resumed gently tickling Bubbles' foot—albeit with both hands now—lightly skittering her fingers up and down the side of her foot and across her arch. Bubbles was flushed bright pink, giggling hysterically. She wanted to worry about Buttercup, but it was becoming harder to focus on her sister's suffering.

'Buttercup! I'm sorry, I'm...I'm trying but...' Bubbles train of thought was suddenly brought to an abrupt standstill. Bubbles squirmed and began laughing harder, pulling at the grass and trying to crawl away. Whatever Blaze was doing, it ranked in the top ten strangest things Bubbles had felt. Bubbles face turned bright, the awkward sensation making her laugh in squeamish embarrassment almost as much as the tickling itself did.

"What in the world?!" She managed to scream out. Blaze wore a delightfully pleased look on her face, still gently tickling the sides of Bubbles' foot, but now also lightly licking the blue puff's toes. She giggled, blushing slight pink. She felt ridiculous, but at the same time...Blaze sighed in content. Whatever the reason, she felt fluttery inside. Unfortunately, things weren't going nearly as strangely for the other Powerpuff Girl. Buttercup laid on the ground, unable to rise again. All of her energies were devoted to something far more pressing.

'I c..an't breath...can't breath...can't breath!' Buttercup's mind was screaming. She coughed out more blood. Her vision swam and all of her effort went to trying to pull air back into her dying lungs. Buttercup finally got that breathe when she felt a vice grip dig into her hair and drag her to her feet. She forced her eyes open, but it did little good. Her vision was a kaleidoscope of swirling colors and shapes—every color a shade of red and every shape a jagged blotch. Blood growled and pulled back her fist, her knuckles cracking again.

"Don't you dare die yet!" Buttercup moaned softly, the closet thing to a scream she could muster before she felt her nose snap. Her vision swam in darkness, but came back painfully when she felt Blood's foot slam into her arm. An earth-shattering scream worked its way to her throat. Blood caught her by her newly broken arm and brought Buttercup over her shoulder, slamming her into the dirt. Blood stood up straight, not a hair out of place, her pristine white skirt still stainless. Buttercup stayed where she fell. Not that she even had a choice. Blood snorted and crossed her arms.

'Maybe..its...over...**oh my god!**' Buttercup screamed with every ounce of strength left in her body when her kneecap shattered. An equally bloodcurdling scream rang out when Blood stomped down mercilessly on the back of Buttercup's other knee. Blood dropped down hard, digging her knee into Buttercup's tail bone. She slammed the green puff's face into the ground and began grinding it into the grass.

"You're lucky, you're so lucky! You get off easy this time! I should snap your neck! I should tear your idiot head off! But I'm not gonna, no I'm not gonna. You're so lucky!" Blood grabbed Buttercup's hair and pulled her head back, slamming it into the ground over and over again. When Buttercup quit twitching, she stopped and left her, climbing to her feet and panting furiously. Blood dusted her skirt off and looked around. Whens he spotted Blaze, still playing with Bubbles' foot, she flared up, her face getting red.

"What do you think...you are...**doing!?**" Blood kicked up with an obscene excess of power, hitting Blaze right in the chin and knocking her onto her back several years away. Blood ignored Bubbles entirely, jumping over on Blaze and grabbing her collar, slamming her back against the ground.

"What were you doing you disgusting freak?! I am never, never, never doing this again! I will never work with you again! You...you...you freak!" With a scream Blood was enveloped in a veil of darkness and vanished. Blaze wiped the blood from her nose and sat up, sniffling and staring at Bubbles. She blushed dark red and looked down shamefully. A veil of darkness wrapped around her and whisked her away. Bubbles lay panting, climbing weakly to her hands and knees. She looked around blankly, bursting into tears when she finally spotted her sister.

"No! Buttercup!" Bubbles stumbled to her feet and flew over to her sister, dropping down next to her and staring in abject horror. She carefully turned Buttercup over and sobbed hysterically, patting her sisters cut up and badly bruised cheeks.

"Buttercup! Buttercup! Open your eyes, please open your eyes! Please!" Bubbles looked the green puff over, crying harder with every new injury she discovered. Bubbles screamed and began bawling hysterically, frantically looking around. She leaned over Buttercup, terrified to move her.

"Someone help me! Please...please I need an ambulance or a firetruck or something! Someone?!" Bubbles screamed at the top of her lungs, uncaring of the damage her supersonic voice caused to the already battered landscape. She noticed a few people hurrying her way and turned back to Buttercup. Bubbles leaned close to Buttercup's face and gasped. She looked down at Buttercup's chest, then back up at her mouth.

"Bubbles?! What happened?" Mr. Cooper, the store owner, knelt down next to Bubbles and Buttercup, staring at Buttercup in disbelief. Bubbles began to scream, and grabbed Mr. Cooper's shirt.

"Call someone! She's not breathing! **Buttercup's not breathing!!**" A panicked crowd started to form, and a hundred cell phones flew into action. Everyone held their breath when they saw a pink streak of light coming toward the park at top speed. On the sidewalk, going by the park, a little girl carrying several bags of groceries stopped and stared in horror at the crowd forming. She swallowed hard and began biting her fingernails. Her baby blue hair bobbed around her shoulders as she trembled nervously.

"Oh no...they know we're here...Daddy's not going to like this..."


	3. Home Sweet Home

**Re: Caught in the Crossfire**

**By Kevin Ivy**

**Author's Note: Readers of the original will notice that I've changed Battle's name to Breeze. I feel this name suits her much better than the original, and keeps in continuity with the naming of the other Malebolge/Leviat.**

**III: Home, Sweet Home**

The blue-haired girl watched the growing crowd, nervously biting her stubby fingernails. Her gaze drifted to the bags upon bags of groceries at her feet. If she wasn't quick, she'd be late. But, at the same time, she worried that leaving would draw attention to herself.

"Daddy said he doesn't want anyone to find us yet...but, I gotta get home quick. I can't fight Blood by myself..." Biting her thumb, she glanced back at the park. The crowd was starting to disperse; if she didn't hurry they'd spot her for sure. Swallowing and picking up her groceries, she vanished in a veil of darkness. When she reappeared, the world was a twisted mockery of reality and order.

She appeared in an endless blue void of swirling shapes and colors. An endless array of red stone platforms floated through the expanse, forming a chaotic semblance of a home. The little girl swung the bags of groceries, approaching the massive throne rising up on a solitary rock floating a few yards from the welcome mat, where she now stood.

"Daddy! I'm home!" The throne twirled around, a pair of glimmering green eyes staring at her through the void. With a titter, he waved his ruby-red claw, his floating platform connecting perfectly with the one where she stood.

"Oh so nice to see you darling! My, my, my you've been away for a while now! Anything interesting happen, hmm?" The girl giggled and set down the groceries, accepting the offered hug. The demon gave her a tight squeeze, setting her down and patting her head.

"Well...yeah something did happen," She bit her index finger, staring down at the stone platform. Her father fell back into his seat, hanging one leg over the arm and grinning with his claws neatly folded on his stomach.

"Why don't you tell Daddy about it? I'm suuure I could help..." He lowered his voice scandalously. She glanced up, finger still in her mouth, and sighed.

"Um...you promise you won't get mad?" The demon giggled and waved his claw. The girl smiled and nodded. She shuffled her feet uneasily and glanced across the void. A smile came to her lips when a rock—apparently a bedroom—floated overhead.

"Okay so I was in Townsville and I was getting groceries—just like you told me to!—and um...well I think I saw them," He smiled and drew strange patterns in the misty air. Pursing his lips, he spoke in a sing-song tone.

"Saw who, Bomb?" The girl, Bomb, made a strange whining sound, staring at the passing stone platform. Her father kept an unblinking leer focused on her. He snapped his claw, drawing her attention back to him. Speaking with the kind of patience only parenthood could instill, he repeated his question.

"Who did you see, Pumpkin?" Bomb looked back at her father, blushing sheepishly. She started to bite her nails, but her father caught her hand, gently lowering it. Bomb swallowed hard and realized she couldn't turn her eyes away from his.

"I saw...Blood and Blaze...they were beating up the Powerpuff Girls 'cause they couldn't find us," Her father smiled slowly, gently releasing her hand and patting it tenderly. He leaned back in his throne, which disconnected from the platform and began to float through the void again. As it spun around, he waved his claw and the bags of groceries floated to a different platform. Bomb watched them go, still terrified. She bit her fingernails and looked back at her father.

"Daddy...they aren't going to kill us, are they?" She couldn't see it, but the demon grinned darkly. He twirled his claw slowly; Bomb stared at the twirling appendage. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the platform from earlier drifting away. The blue-haired girl pouted and crossed her arms.

"You're far, far too stressed, Pumpkin Pie! You need to relaaax...go play with your sister, I'll call you when it's time for supper," Bomb squealed and jumped into the air, flying up to her father's throne. She caught his claw and grinned brightly.

"Thanks Daddy! I'll see you at supper time!" As she started to fly off, he caught her by the back of her shorts and stopped her hurried departure.

"Don't be late, Bomb...we have a lot to talk abooout!" He sang with a wink. Bomb giggled and nodded, dropping down to the stone platform where she entered. She walked to the edge and vanished with a pop. The throne drifted deeper into the void, a series of television screens appearing around its dark master. His grin darkened, his eyes gleaming maliciously.

"So the game begins again, hmm?" He chuckled and the series of images replayed Blossom's fight from the day before, and the fight that took place not ten minutes ago. He tutted, pouting and crossing his arms defiantly. The Powerpuff Girls had lost far too easily.

"No, no, no...this just won't do...we'll have to just…force your resourcefulness...won't we girls?" He, the devil himself, chuckled wickedly. As he had said before, the game was ready to begin again. And this time...Him was ready.

* * *

Bomb reappeared on the rock she'd eyed previously. The rock was clearly a very large bedroom, dolls littering the floor and shelves stacked with movies and especially video games framing the edges. A giant entertainment center sat directly next to the king bed—adorned in colorful Mario bed sheets—with a large television connected to every manner of video game system imaginable. The surface of the rock was covered in a plush pink carpet, and the floating platform seemed to almost retain its own atmosphere. Despite the bright glow of the void, the rock was only modestly lit as if the table lamp sitting on the nightstand actually had some effect.

Bomb slid out of her sneakers and padded silently up to the bed, nearly bursting with excitement. The girl, lying on the bed, kicked her feet in the air absentmindedly, her attention devoted in full to the handheld clutched tightly in her grasp. She bit her tongue and glared with narrowed, determined eyes. Her green-hair, carefully and lovingly braided into a meticulous ponytail, bobbed back in forth with her exaggerated actions. The silence, broken only by the clicking buttons, was abruptly startled when Bomb pounced on her target. The second girl shrieked and tried to turn around, but her sister quickly wrapped her in a tight hug, burrowing her face into the crook of her neck. Her victim settled down, giggling and shoving her thick glasses back into place.

"Bomb you're back!" Bomb took a deep breath and sighed blissfully, snuggling her sister closer. In part, she had missed her dearly; her sister had been taking a nap when she left. More so, she hugged her tightly to ward off the lingering terror that Blood and Blaze's presence had left behind. She shuddered, drawing a concerned glance.

"Bomb…what's wrong?" Her sister's soft voice brought a smile to Bomb's lips. She gave her another tight squeeze and a peck on the cheek, turning her attention to the handheld game.

"Nothing…well something, but Daddy will tell you about it later. Sorry I was gone so long, but you made it really far, Breeze! You're almost further than me!" She pouted and the two shared a giggle, both looking back at her game. Breeze nodded…but glared as yet again she lost the big fight.

"I'm trying but I just can't beat Sabrina! I even went and got a Haunter to help me!" Bomb snickered and rolled her eyes. Without thinking, she gently brushed her toes against her sister's kicking feet. Her thin white ankle socks scratched adoringly at her sister's white stockings.

"Haunter isn't too good against Sabrina…you should get an Umbreon!" Breeze pouted and whined, resting her cheek on her hand and grumpily moving to the second gym.

"But I wanted an Espeon! And Haunter was good against Sabrina in the cartoon..." Bomb laughed again, and closed her eyes. She pressed her cheek against Breeze's, grinning cheekily.

"You can't make her laugh in the game, Dork!" She giggled and watched Breeze battle the fighting gym leader. This fight was going much more smoothly than the battle with Sabrina.

"I can trade you my Umbreon if you want," Breeze sighed and pouted. Bomb rolled her eyes again. She noticed the kitchen flying nearby and grinned, sitting up and scratching Breeze's back. Her sister purred and looked back at her with a content smile.

"What's that for?" Breeze asked, not at all complaining. She laid down and sighed, whining in agitation when her sister stopped.

"Daddy let me buy some candy for us! I'll go get it!" Breeze gasped and sat up, grinning broadly.

"Really? Hurry! Go get it!" Bomb giggled and rushed off, vanishing with a pop at the edge of the rock. Breeze licked her lips and laid back against her pillows, returning her attention to her game. She'd defeated the leader, but now she was faced with a much more dire situation. She bit her lip and looked over at the passing kitchen. She could see Bomb scouring the cabinets, trying to locate their candy. Breeze huffed and stared at her game, and then turned back to Bomb. She took a deep breath and hollered across the void.

"Bomb! I need help!" Bomb looked up, floating at the top of the pantry. She turned around and hollered back.

"What's wrong? I'm trying to find our Bottlecaps!" Breeze licked her lips again, almost forgetting her dilemma. She turned back to her game and noticed the two pokeballs sitting in front of her character. She whined and turned on Bomb with big, puppy-dog eyes.

"I don't know who to pick! Should I get Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan?" Bomb groaned and returned to her search. She squealed, pulling a bag out of the top of the pantry.

"I'll be right there!" Breeze crossed her arms and waited impatiently, turning her begging stare on Bomb the moment she appeared at the edge of the room. Bomb plopped down on the bed next to her, tearing open the box of Bottlecaps and chowing down on a handful. Breeze gave an irate grumble, drawing her sister's attention. Bomb swallowed her mouthful and pointed at the screen.

"Get Hitmonlee cause I got Hitmonchan already," Breeze beamed and excitedly claimed her prize. Like always, she clicked Yes to nickname her newly acquired creature. Staring at it in confusion, she turned to Bomb again. Her sister was at the other end of the room, rifling through the shelf trying to find her own handheld.

"What should I name him?" Bomb shrugged, finally locating her handheld with an excited cheer. Breeze pursed her lips and stared at the picture. Feeling mean, she snorted and roughly pushed her glasses back into place.

"Maybe I should name him Belial cause he has stupid big feet," Bomb spat out a mouthful of Bottlecaps, snorting and laughing uncontrollably. Breeze swelled up and grinned proudly. Not about to just let the joke go, she kept going.

"Yeah I bet she'd probably wanna eat his feet or something cause she's a big weird jerk!" Bomb was in stitches, holding herself up with the game shelf. Breeze blushed and giggled excitedly, trying to quickly put together another insult. Bomb snorted and wiped her eyes, snickering.

"Better be careful, if she finds out she might come eat your feet!" Breeze's face went pale and her eyes got small. She shoved her feet under the blankets and glared at Bomb, erasing the nickname she'd almost assigned to her new monster.

"D-Don't joke about that! What if she hears you!?" Bomb swallowed and nibbled on her fingernails. She hadn't thought of that possibility, but Belial was infamous for showing up when they least wanted her to. And she never let either of them off the hook when she was angry, annoyed, or just bored. Bomb shrugged and sat down at the foot of the bed. She feigned confidence, though she couldn't hide the nervous titter in her voice.

"W-Well...Belial probably wouldn't...actually eat our feet...I think..." Breeze didn't look convinced, and Bomb certainly didn't sound convinced. The green-haired sister swallowed and looked around fearfully.

"No but she will tickle us til we cry..." Until they cried was probably a better scenario than how it usually played out. Bomb slid next to her sister, throwing her legs up against the headboard and starting up her game. Breeze stared down at her with confusion etched in her features.

"Hey don't worry she's not even home...I think...let's just play and forget about her," Breeze nodded and leaned back against the headboard, laying her head against Bomb's leg and returning her attention to her game. The two played for hours, the thought of their malicious third sister slipping away. Awkward silence became friendly chatter, which turned into joyful squealing and giggling. Too soon, it felt, they heard a tittering voice call from across the void.

"Bomb! Breeze! It's time for supper! Do be dears and fetch your sister, if you would?" The twins looked up with matching pouts. Him stood, claws on his hips, dressed in a frilly pink apron in the passing kitchen-slash-dining room.

"Do we have to?" Bomb yelled back, trying to put as much whine into her voice as possible. Where she failed, Breeze made up with her far superior whining abilities.

"Why do we have to, Daddy?" She moaned. Him waved his claw and shook his head. He spoke at first with a whimsical flit in his voice.

"Oh you girls! Complaining will get you nowheeere! Now...do as you are told and **fetch your sister**," His voice took a sharp, stern twist at the end, confirming that he was in no mood for argument. Bomb and Breeze sighed and shut their games off. They shuffled to the edge of their room and offered their father one last pleading glance. He narrowed his eyes; the twins disappeared in a pop.

* * *

The rock they reappeared on was a bit larger than their shared bedroom. The surface was roughly the same size, but on either side was a slim staircase leading down to a second room, where Belial's musical equipment was stored—several amplifiers, a keyboard, and six bass guitars—as well as her desktop computer. The surface floor shared the same plush pink carpeting that the twins' room had, but had several more shelves, all packed with movies and books. There were several posters, seemingly attached to the empty air around the room. Every single poster featured one of two subjects: The Beatles or just Paul McCartney. There was a smaller shelf, carefully organized and cared for, of CDs next to the bed. A laptop was resting on the gigantic blue comforter, stretched over the king-sized bed, displaying several pictures of the Powerpuff Girls, every one focused on Blossom.

Bomb and Breeze stood at the doorway, looking around with the trepidation of gazelles walking into the lion's den. A quick glance was all it took to find the room utterly empty, save for the stereo quietly playing "Hello Goodbye" on repeat. Breeze tugged on Bomb's arm and gave her a pleading glance.

"Sh-She's not here, can we leave now?" Bomb swallowed and started to nod, but then noticed the stairs. She pulled Breeze down to the music room, peeking out and looking around nervously. There was a pile of sheet music strewn across the floor and Belial's favorite bass guitar was lovingly resting near her chair. The wicked sister herself was nowhere to be found. Bomb bit her lip and turned back to Breeze.

"Okay...she's not home yet so if we just leave and tell Daddy-" The two froze, hearing footsteps in the room above them. They traded a fearful glance and looked up, listening carefully. The newcomer was stalking the room, talking to herself.

"Tonight should be good...gotta be more careful. Not that it would be a big problem if I got caught...just can't lead them back here. Why hello there! It's been a while!" They heard Belial sit down on her bed, and soon heard clacking keys. Bomb swallowed and looked at Breeze. Her sister was pale and on the verge of hyperventilating. The last time they got caught sneaking around in Belial's room, it hadn't ended well for either of them. The noise upstairs suddenly stopped, and the two heard the tell-tale pop of someone leaving the room.

"Let's get out of here!" The twins rushed up the stairs and started toward the edge of the rock platform. A pair of strong hands materialized out of thin air and pulled them back into the room. Both went rigid, pressed tightly against a taller form behind them. Belial wrapped her arms around her sisters' shoulders and leaned down, resting her chin on Bomb's shoulder, glancing at Breeze with a frown.

"What's this? You two come to visit and then just try to run away? Ya'see, I'm hurt...I really am," She was using her sweet voice, they noticed with a growing sense of dread. Breeze held her breath, staring at Belial's hand, now gently rubbing her shoulder. Bomb jumped, shuddering when her fingernails dug roughly into her forearm.

"We just…we…we just…Belial it was…it's just…" Bomb stuttered. Breeze uttered a high-pitched whine as Belial gently slid her hand down, rubbing her smaller sister's side. Belial's frown became a sickeningly cheerful smile. She giggled softly and leaned closed to Breeze, whispering with a delicate titter.

"You were…sneakin around…in my room, weren'tcha?" Breeze shook her head, pulling away as far as she could. Belial just grinned and followed her, holding the twins tightly in place. She let her other hand fall to Bomb's waist, and pulled her snuggly against her body. Bomb watched with a mixed sense of jealousy and terror. Breeze whimpered and tried to push Belial back with one foot. The tallest sister smirked and caught her foot between her legs.

"W-w-we weren't sn-sn-sneaking!" Breeze whined, clenched her eyes shut tightly when Belial tugged her close again. Bomb swallowed and put on a brave façade; but, she stayed rooted in place.

"We…we came…uh just…we had…to…find you and um…" Belial's devious leer became a bright, venomous smile. She turned on Bomb, so quickly their noses touched. Bomb gasped and bit her lip.

"You came to play with me?" Belial squealed, her expression turning vicious. Without further warning she dug her fingers into her sisters' sides, stifling any argument. Bomb bit her lip and stomped her feet, weakly tugging at Belial's much stronger arm. Breeze struggled to stay balanced on one foot, squealing and giggling. Belial turned to Bomb and sneered, leaning close and whispering in her ear.

"Don't be such a killjoy, sister of mine," Bomb snorted and fell against Belial, giggling and fighting to get away. Belial closed her eyes and held them closer, tickling them harder and faster. As their laughter escalated, the grin on her face grew. Bomb finally managed to pull herself together long enough to make one desperate plea.

"It'stimeforsupper! Daddy'swaitingpleasestop!" Belial blinked and groaned, letting go of the twins. They stumbled away, Breeze quickly falling into Bomb's arms. Belial crossed her arms and glared away from the two, her mood souring when their winded giggles finally died off. The twins noticed the sudden feeling of doom hanging in the air and glanced back at their sister. Belial clenched her fists and turned to them viciously.

"Fine! Get lost! Tell Dad I'll be there in just a moment," She watched them scramble away and sat down on her bed, sighing with irritation. The only highlight of her boring day was ruined by the call to mealtime. She flicked her touchpad and leered at the images splayed out on her laptop. Belial sighed and rested her chin on her fists. She could still smell the sweat on her body; hear her fierce gasps for air.

"Man, it'll be worth lying low all day…I can't wait to see you again tonight, Blossom," With a smirk she flipped her laptop shut and scurried to the edge of the room, vanishing with a pop.

* * *

Supper for the Malebolge was a relatively peaceful occasion. A soft orchestral piece fluttered through the dining room, taking the heat off the tension between the three children. Him sat at the head of the table, daintily sipping a glass of— the contents were truly unknown—red wine. Belial sat to his right, eating with a practiced grace. On the left side, Bomb and Breeze sat next to each other with much less poise.

"So, tell me about your day. I'm sure it was simply wonderful!" Him asked, out of nowhere. Belial looked up, and then turned her gaze back to her meal. Breeze bounced excitedly, quickly swallowing her mouthful, downing it with a swig of root beer. She stifled a burp and blushed. She began to speak, but noticed her father's claw pointing at her napkin. With a sheepish grin, Breeze wiped her mouth and cleared her throat.

"Well, I beat the fighting gym in Pokemon today! It was really hard, but Bomb saw me do it!" Bomb nodded enthusiastically. Him chuckled and lifted his glass in a silly toast.

"How very good! If I'm not mistaken this means you've almost caught up with Bomb, yes?" Breeze nodded, grinning broadly. Belial rolled her eyes at the other end of the table, tucking her hair behind her ear. She took a delicate sip of her iced tea, and sneered at Breeze.

"Yes how utterly relevant your virtual conquest over an imaginary world is. You should be so proud," Breeze blinked, struggling to grasp the sarcasm, but the tone of Belial's voice gave Bomb enough ammunition to get angry.

"Don't be a jerk!" Belial turned her bored glare on Bomb, who wilted and redirected her now defused stare to her food. Breeze frowned and stirred her peas. Belial smirked and took a smug bite, dabbing her mouth before retorting.

"It's not like you've actually accomplished anything. I don't see any reason to be proud," As the tension escalated, Him clinked his glass, drawing all three fiery eyes to him. They went out quickly seeing the brooding smile on their father's lips.

"That's enough, girls...we have something very important to discuss. It would appear that Bomb has discovered some very intriguing information!" Breeze looked at Bomb, who swelled with pride. Belial just sneered and took another angry sip of her tea.

"What happened, Daddy?" Breeze asked, still keeping her gaze on Bomb. She noticed that Bomb seemed nervous, and grabbed her hand beneath the table. Her blue-haired twin grinned and gave her hand a tight squeeze. Breeze blushed and giggled.

"It would appeeear that the Leeeviat were in Townsville earlier todaaay..." Him stated, drawing his words out. Belial halted in mid-drink, her eyes finally drifting over to her father. He seemed terribly chipper considering the implications of Bomb's apparent sighting of the Leviat. Breeze's mouth fell open and she stared in horror. Bomb swallowed and squeezed her hand again, wrapping one of her legs around Breeze's. Even an innocent game of footsie couldn't ease the fear in her sister's eyes.

"So...they know we live in Townsville," Belial stated simply, setting down her glass and folding her hands in her lap. She stared at the condensation trickling down the side of the glass. Him nodded, smirking and swirling his refilled glass of wine.

"Yes...yesss...thankfully Bomb herself wasn't spotted! Which...leads me to wonder how they found us..." His accusatory words struck a chord in Belial. She kept her gaze carefully focused on her glass, though she could feel a trickle of sweat rolling down her brow. Her father's knowing leer was the only thing she couldn't fool. Breeze and Bomb were too engaged in their own conversation to notice the exchange. Belial finally turned and looked at her father. One look in his eyes and she knew that he knew. She mentally berated herself. He always knew everything, why would this time be different?

"So what course of action should we engage in, Dad?" Belial asked, lowering her eyes back to her plate. Her appetite was gone; she just wanted to get to her plan for the evening now. Him noticed that the other two seemed finished and waved his claw. The dishes began to float away from the table, washing themselves at the sink. Bomb and Breeze turned back to Him. The demon sat back in his seat, stroking his beard and watching the void swirl around them. He smirked and shook his claw.

"For tonight, we'll just continue as per usual! You're free to go! I'll be by later to tuck you into bed!" He sang. Breeze and Bomb cheered and rushed away from the table, disappearing in a pop. Belial stayed in her seat, tugging at her pants. She looked up at Him, who was staring back expectantly. With a sigh she looked away with a glare.

"So, I assume, the blame for this entire situation falls on me?" Him chuckled and rested a claw on her shoulder. Belial looked up at him with a somewhat defiant, somewhat pleading glare. Him's grin never faded.

"All is right in the world, my little angel. No need to change your plans on my behalf!" Belial blinked and looked down at the table. She smirked and rose to her feet, neatly pushing her chair back in. Him rose and walked with her to the edge of the kitchen, stroking his beard.

"Do be more careful this time...I'd hate to find my trust misplaced," Belial nodded and gave her father a quick hug. She walked ahead and turned back with a smirk and a grand bow.

"Oh but of course, Daddy Dearest," Him chuckled and floated into the air, his throne materializing beneath him.

"Enjoy yourself, Angel! You have a lot of work in the future!" He warned with a wink. Belial grinned maliciously and chuckled.

"I will...I'm going to enjoy this a lot," Belial turned and disappeared over the edge with a pop. Him leaned back, the kitchen drifting away from him. He swirled his glass of wine and summoned his multitude of interdimensional television screens. He sipped his wine and stretched, swinging his legs over the side of his throne and grinning secretively. Right on schedule, his favorite show, the Powerpuff Girls, was playing. He could barely wait for tonight's episode, it was sure to be a laugh.


	4. Nowhere is Safe

**Re: Caught in the Crossfire**

**By Kevin Ivy**

**Author's Note: This chapter was not easy to rewrite. I wanted to keep as much of the kink intact as I can, since that was the focus of the chapter, while actually making it fit as a working part of the story. Your Mileage May Vary, but I think by now you, the reader, know what to expect from this story.**

**IV: Nowhere Is Safe**

Blossom sat up with a startled gasp, one hand flying to her chest and the other flying to her mouth. Panting, eyes wide, she looked around the room warily. Even without her night vision, she knew nothing was out of place. Swallowing, she looked to her left and smiled. Bubbles laid curled up, snuggled close to Blossom. She clutched a very ragged and dilapidated Octi to her breast and sucked her thumb—a habit she'd developed when the girls went through their three year metamorphosis. Now, the evolution finished, they were scarcely distinguishable from the average human. The only tell remaining was their larger than normal eyes.

"She's so cute..." Blossom muttered, lying back down and staring at her sister. Her smile faded into a frown, the empty bed behind her felt downright frigid. Buttercup wasn't one for cuddling, like Bubbles, but it was unnerving to not at least feel her kicking every so often. The redhead sighed and sat up, rubbing her blonde-towed sister's shoulder. Bubbles moaned happily and slid closer, snuggling further beneath the blankets. Blossom smiled and slid out of bed, stifling a yawn and floating carefully to the door. Opening it just enough to slide through, Blossom slipped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

The click the door made when it closed seemed to echo through the silent household. Blossom held her breath and waited anxiously. Down the hall, the Professor was talking in his sleep—something about a unified theory—and in the bedroom, Bubbles just snored and rolled over. Blossom sighed in relief and floated over the banister, peering around the living room. Everything was in place, no sign of danger. She rolled her eyes and floated towards the lab, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"You're being so immature, Blossom," She whispered, floating into the lab, once again carefully closing the door behind her. "You're in your own home...you're safe here. No one but the Professor, Bubbles and..." She stepped around the corner and her heart sank to her knees. Buttercup was lying on a work table, an absolute mess surrounding her. Blood stained the table, the floor, even the instruments connected to her. Had they been even a second too late...

"Buttercup..." Blossom hovered over to her broken, beaten sister and stared at her with weakening restitution. She swallowed hard and wiped her eyes, taking a seat on the table beside her. Buttercup's face was almost unrecognizable. Bubbles had tried to fix her hair as much as possible, but it was beyond repair; Buttercup would need a major make over when she woke up. Tenderly, Blossom took her hand and held it tightly, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She hiccuped and shook her head, unable to take continue observing the damage. Her sister, the picture of strength, was now hanging on by a thread.

"There are more of them...we can't fight any of them..." Blossom whispered, her blood running cold. Belial had terrified her; she'd beaten her in combat without breaking a sweat and...threatened to do something horrible to her. But Buttercup...she'd faced the real strength of these mysterious enemies. Blossom narrowed her eyes and clutched her sister's limp hand tightly. More than ever...they needed to find a solution, an answer. Taking one more look at Buttercup, Blossom shook her head and gently kissed her horribly bruised cheek.

"Don't worry...I'll figure out something...I won't let this happen again," She vowed, licking her lips and gently brushing her torn raven hair. Blossom floated off the table and started for the stairs. As she passed by the Danger Grid, she hesitated, looking back at it. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind now. Her adrenaline was pumping and her mind was racing; she needed something to unload on. With a nod, she slipped into the training room, closing the door behind her. Blossom approached the control panel and stared at it. With a sigh, she cranked the danger level to eleven—as they'd grown more powerful, the difficult had increased accordingly—and glanced around.

'I don't want to wake anyone...' It was dangerous, if she got hurt, but she wasn't about to draw attention to herself. Blossom activated the soundproofing barrier on the danger grid. With a sigh she adjusted a few more controls and stepped inside. The door sealed shut behind her, leaving Blossom in a blank white cube. She looked down at her nightgown and pursed her lips; it certainly wasn't going to help her progress, but she couldn't risk returning to the room yet. With a shrug, Blossom stepped into the center of the room.

"Mission Begin," The danger grid kicked into gear and with a whirring sound that quickly faded away, the blank rectangular room was replaced by a darkened city street. Blossom crossed her arms, unfazed by the frigid wind blowing by. As it developed, her heat breath ability—ice and fire breath—had given her a significant resistance to extreme temperatures. Blossom floated into the air, looking around in confusion. The simulation had begun, she should have encountered her opponent by now.

"Computer, report Danger Level" She called.

"Danger Level: 11" The automated voice responded. Blossom frowned and floated deeper into the virtual city. Not even a sign of life, let alone a powerful monster or some other kind of evil entity. As she flew deeper and deeper into the city, Blossom noticed something sitting on the back edge of the computerized world. A warehouse, designed to stand out against the rest of the dimly lit cityscape. The warehouse was even darker. Blossom floated up to the window and tried peering inside. Inside, it was a massive square prison, completely empty. Not a crate or barrel to be found.

"Now that's really odd..." She muttered, floating down to the front door. Just as suspicious, the door slid open with a soft shove. Blossom entered, ready for anything. The computer had never generated a simulation like this before. It preferred the more direct approach such as a giant monster, an evil madman, a fighting robot. This level felt more ominous...more subtle. With a cautious glance back, Blossom flew into the musty warehouse. The door slammed and latched behind her. Blossom gasped and jumped, dropping to the ground. She tried pushing the door but it was locked tight.

'I don't like this...I don't like this at all,' She thought, steeling her nerves for whatever challenge the grid had for her. She took light steps, cringing and trying to ignore the dirty floor beneath her bare feet. More than before, she wished she had planned this through a bit better. Nonetheless, she inched closer to the center of the room, ready to act a moment's notice. With a loud clap, a light flipped on revealing her opponent. Blossom took a step back, mouth falling open and eyes widening. She hid her terror behind a mask of defiance.

"You...what are you doing here?" It took some effort to keep the tremble out of her voice, but the end result was a steadfast voice of determination. Across from her, Belial wore an angelic smile. She jumped from her perch atop a crate—strangely, there hadn't been anything in the building before—and slowly stalked toward Blossom. She clapped her hands and grinned brightly.

"Well I noticed that a certain someone couldn't sleep! I was so distraught, I really was. But, ya'see, I remembered that promise I made to you and what do you know! Here we are...ready for round two..." Her voice started off cheery and innocent, but by the end, there was a sinister sneer in her speech. Blossom swallowed and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't about to just lie down and let this monster knock her around. But, at the same time, she wasn't ignorant to the canyon of difference between them. Belial's leer sharpened; neither was she, Blossom noted.

"How...how did you get in my house?!" Blossom barked, thrusting an accusatory finger at Belial. Belial shrugged and continued her steady march toward the Powerpuff. Blossom swallowed and tried to find the courage to face her. But...sometimes fear was the appropriate response. Blossom took an uneasy step back, slowly mimicking her oncoming attacker. Belial just sauntered closer, an arrogant swagger in her step.

"So...I saw your sister," Blossom froze and glared at Belial. Just like that, her blood began to boil and all of the pain and frustration she'd been repressing exploded. Blossom lunged at Belial, throwing a deadly punch at her face. Belial stepped back, sticking her tongue out.

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot? I'm sure Blood did," Blossom growled audibly and swung around, kicking at her face. Belial ducked under the blow and jumped back shaking her head and wagging her finger.

"Gonna have to do better...ya'see, I'm still faster than you, no matter how angry you get," Blossom clenched her fists and glared. If there was ever a time she needed to discover a new ultra secret power, it was now. Belial's arrogant, condescending smirk was grating on her. Her cocky, mocking eyes feigned concern but showed pleasure at her suffering. Even down to the how she held her hands on her hips. So smug and superior...this was just a sick, twisted game to her. Blossom flared up; she was tired of being afraid.

"Who was that?! How do you know her?!" Blossom's charge was vicious, it was downright brutal. Every punch, every kick flew with every ounce of her awesome strength. She pushed herself to the absolute limit, trying with every breath to wipe that infuriating look from Belial's lips. Belial snatched Blossom's wrists, just as the Powerpuff leader caught her by her shirt and slammed her against the wall. Belial shrugged and kept right on smiling.

"You mean Blood? She's...an acquaintance that sounds about right. She not on my team though," Blossom growled and pressed Belial harder against the wall, resisting the urge to tear her head off. Anything would suffice to get rid of that derogatory, sickening, disrespectful...terrifying look.

"What team!? Who are you?!" Belial held her hands up defensively. She cleared her throat and gently rested her hands on Blossom's shoulders. The look never left her face.

"The winning team. It mostly consists of me, that's all you need to know...which is already more than you deserve to know," Belial grinned and leaned closer to Blossom's face, "You adorable little human..." Something about the way she lowered her voice...it was chillingly familiar. Blossom's grip faltered when something of a revelation hit her. It was crazy but...

"W-What?! Wh-where are you?!" She gasped out, stumbling backward. Belial was gone, as if she'd never even been there. As impossible as it seemed, Blossom had been staring right at Belial. Backing up slowly, her heart stopped when she hit a solid form, and felt a pair of vice like hands clasp her wrists. Blossom struggled to pull free, but was pulled back against her assailant without any effort. Belial brushed her lips against Blossom's ear and took a deep breath of her mussed hair.

"You smell nice..." Blossom shuddered and redoubled her efforts to extricate herself from the evil girl's hold. Belial grinned and tugged her backward. To Blossom's shock, she fell backward and Belial passed through her body, appearing in front of her. Before she hit the ground, Blossom collided with something else.

"What the?" She moaned, staring at the contraption. She was sitting against a padded board, taller than herself and at a very slight backward angle., with a horizontal metal bar going through it, well over her head. Before she could contemplate the purpose of the bar, a pair of snakelike ribbons appeared from thin air and snatched her wrists, pulling her arms up over her head. Blossom yelped as she was pulled back against the board, her wrists firmly tied to the metal bar. Recalling her previous fight with Belial, Blossom began to panic.

"Oh no, no, no...please let me go!" She shrieked, hearing a loud snap. Her ankles were now tightly secured in a pair of metal stocks, lined with a material of questionable comfort. Blossom tugged at her binds, but suddenly realized that her powers had fled her. It was true; no matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to get the strength to pull away.

"Now don't you look pretty?" Belial teased, giggling as she sat down on Blossom's lap, straddling her hips. Blossom swallowed, nearly choking on her tongue. Her mouth had gone dry as sand. Belial leaned in dangerously close, her toothy smirk scaring the rest of the fight out of Blossom. The pink puff began to struggle in earnest, giving up what dignity she'd managed to hold on to.

"What...what are you going to do to me?" She whispered. Clenching her eyes shut, she tensed and prepared for anything. Belial just chuckled, brushing her captive's hair away from her face. She adoring caressed her cheek.

"Kinda the same thing I did last time...I'm going to tickle you, and, this time, I'm not in any hurry," She whispered, her voice sweet as sugar. Blossom whimpered and cracked her eyes open, laying Belial with the deadliest glare she could manage.

"Why?! Why won't you...won't you just fight me and beat me?!" Belial snickered and sat up, rubbing her chin. She picked at the fabric of Blossom's nightgown, making the puff tremble and jerk with every plucking motion.

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? You want me to fight you...because you know you'll have an excuse, an exciting story to tell. I'm stronger, faster, and smarter than you," Belial relished the venomous growl Blossom responded with. That last bit had touched a very sensitive nerve. Chilly blue eyes stared into fiery pink ones. Blossom tugged violently at her restraints.

"Let me go...I'll beat you, I will beat you! Just...just fight me! Stop playing these...these stupid games! It's...it's..." Blossom trailed off, too angry to continue her rant. Belial tilted her head, forcing the two into eye contact once more. She grinned, a feral and frightening expression.

"Humiliating? Yeah...that's the best part...seeing you get all pink and flustered. I just love it..." Blossom swallowed, closed her eyes, and clenched her teeth. Belial narrowed her eyes, that was all she needed to hear. She lightly stroked her finger across Blossom's bare armpit. The Powerpuff girl hissed and shuddered, swallowing the lump in her throat. Belial slowly repeated the same action, getting a very similar reaction. Blossom clenched her toes, balled her fists and tried to subtly pull away. Her bonds hadn't grown any weaker, though she feared that, somehow, she might have. Belial closed her eyes and repeated the same, slow stroke. Every time Blossom jerked and clenched up, a hiss escaped between her clenched teeth.

"That's it...keep fighting. It's just going to make it so much more fun when I win!" Belial snickered and changed tactics, lightly stroking Blossom's other armpit, all five fingers softly stroking the soft skin. Blossom bit her lip and squealed, giggles bubbling up in her chest. Her legs bounced, exploiting the very little movement she had left. She pulled in the opposite direction, taking fast, shallow breaths. Belial licked her lips and cocked her head, studying Blossom's face closely. Her cheeks were turning the most delicious shade of pink.

"Almost matches your eyes..." She whispered, her lips twitching. Blossom heard the comment, but didn't bother a retort. Anything short of complete concentration would cost her dearly. Belial sighed and smirked hungrily. She could feel the violent shudder, working its way up from her toes, traveling through Blossom. She leaned closer, watching her face closely. This was her favorite part...watching the break.

'Well...' she thought deviously, 'second favorite part...' the entire process was her favorite part. Belial bit her tongue and watched as Blossom shook her head and snickered. The giggles built up until finally they began to pour out uncontrollably. Blossom of the Powerpuff Girls was defeated. The pink puff squirmed uncomfortably, tugging at her bindings frantically. She wasn't sure...but she felt that if she couldn't get away soon, there would be no escape. It hadn't crossed her mind that escape had been impossible from the moment she stepped in the Danger Grid.

"Looks like I win, but don't you worry. I'll cherish every second of my prize," Belial whispered, her sweet voice vanishing, replaced its darker, more sinister counterpart. She tickled Blossom's other armpit, breaking what little defense the superheroine had left. Blossom bucked and wiggled her hands and feet, shaking her head back and forth. Belial's fingers danced up and down her trapped underarms, at times soft and slow, others hard and fast. Blossom struggled to pull the giggles back under control, but every time she started to fight back, Belial tickled her harder, forcing a bark of laughter from the puff. Only a few short minutes into the attack, Blossom felt helplessness setting in. She couldn't get out by her own power; her only hope was the mercy of her enemy.

"P-please, pl-please st-stop! Let me...let me go!" She cried out, stuttering and stumbling over the endless stream of squeals and titters. Belial slowed down, just two fingers tickling the hero's two armpits. The softening torment was enough for Blossom to open her eyes. Still giggling wildly, she tried her best to plead with the evil girl. Belial closed her eyes and smirked.

"Nah...ya'see we're just getting started," She lowered her voice, and Blossom could have sworn she'd seen that evil leer before, "You aren't even crying yet," Blossom laughed, her nerves getting the better of her, and tried for one final time to break free. Her powers were all but gone. She shrieked and burst into more frantic giggles when Belial squeezed her knees. Like a cat slowly devouring the canary, Belial watched Blossom's face with an intimate intensity. Every twitch of her lips, every strand of hair that fell out of place. She took it all in, giggling herself when the puff began to squeal; Belial's fingers slid beneath her knees, tickling the backs with wild abandon.

Stretched as she was, Blossom could only wiggle her legs back and forth. She couldn't bend her knees, couldn't escape the taunting fingernails dancing across the sensitive undersides. Her squeals and giggle became more panicked and more frightened as Belial spidered her fingers up Blossom's thighs, slipping under the hem of her nightgown. She trembled violently, pulling back as far as she could, ticklish giggles mixed with terrified embarrassed laughter. Belial tickled up her thighs with slow, deliberate grace. Her fingers getting dangerously close to Blossom's panties. Finally, she couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"NO!" She screamed falling forward and giggling painfully. Already her chest felt sore, her sides were beginning to hurt. Belial looked up, sincere confusion etched on her face. She looked down at Blossom, staring with a critical eye. Her lips pulled back into a lecherous leer. She scooted closer, pushing Blossom's nightgown up revealing her chest and white underwear. Belial whistled; her eyes traveled across the smooth, surprisingly soft...helpless skin. She was practically salivating, just imagining what was to come.

"You are so pretty," Blossom choked, scared tear trickling down her cheek. She shook her head, again trying to plead with her eyes.

"Please don't...please don't do that...please..." Belial narrowed her eyes in confusion again. She shrugged and smirked, licking her lips. She stared at Blossom's face, watching the look of growing horror as she lowered her hand, fingers wiggling suggestively. The pink puff tried pressing her legs together, tried anything to avoid what she was sure was coming. She shrieked in surprise when Belial's fingers tickled across her belly. Blossom fell into peals of laughter, giggling and snickering hysterically. Belial tickled up her sides, watching in adoration how her stomach quivered and trembled with every light touch. She spidered up her ribs and back down, gleefully noting the abrupt squeal and subsequent bouncing. She'd found a sweet spot, for sure.

"Mm...this has been fun," Belial whispered, taking in every inch of her captive's form. From her delicate belly—true to Puff form, she had no belly button—shamelessly up to her just budding breasts. Belial noted, with a childish giggle, that Blossom was more developed than her sisters and herself. It was scandalously attractive. Blossom noticed the unwanted attention to detail, but the pink-haired villain's teasing fingers kept her from responding with more than a constant stream of weakening giggles. Every bit of sensitivity and innocence vanished from Belial's face. As scared as she had been before...Blossom was paralyzed by the look.

"It's been a real fun warm up...let's really get you worked up now!" Belial dug both hands into Blossom's belly, roughly tickling her mercilessly. Blossom screamed and fell back into a flurry of hysteric laughs. She shrieked and thrashed, squealed and screamed as Belial furiously tickled her belly. She tried her best to melt into the chair, but to no avail, when Belial took to kneading her sides and tickling her hips. When she dug her fingers into Blossom's ribs, the puff tried to, quite literally, tear out of her skin. She'd had brief tickle fights with her sisters in the past, but nothing compared to the horrible feeling of the evil girl's malicious fingers playing her ribs like a fleshy piano. It brought a whole new, and very much unwanted, meaning to the phrase tickling the ivories.

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" Blossom screamed out with every breath she managed to catch. Belial only scooted closer, tickling her way back to Blossom's quivering belly. Her fingers scribbled back up her sides, briefly tickling her armpits before coming back to form at her ribcage. Blossom's face was bright red; tears were streaking down her cheeks. It took a lot of effort to make Blossom cry, she was no weakling. But completely trapped and having her one true weakness exploited so mercilessly, she cried like a baby.

Biting her lip, trying to hold in her excitement, Belial closed her eyes. If Blossom's tear-streaked face, twisted in forced laughter, was a work of art, her hysterical screaming laughter was a musical masterpiece. Her stomach tingled eagerly, her blood raced red-hot. Every gasp made her insides clench. Every scream made her shudder. Every tremble that ran through her pretty body made Belial tremble. She chuckled and opened her eyes, tapering off her ticklish assault. Blossom gasped for air and fell back. Moaning and trying her best to hide her pitiful sobs, Blossom looked up at Belial.

"N-No more...no more please..." Belial leaned forward, her face inches from Blossom's. Their noses brushed. Belial felt Blossom's quick and panicked breaths puffing against her face. Blossom felt Belial's deep, slow breaths brushing against her hot face. Belial's eyes were half-closed and there was a dangerous glint in them. A glint that terrified Blossom more than anything she could remember.

"Give me a kiss," Belial said at last. Blossom gasped and stared back in shock. She closed her mouth and swallowed, panting and narrowing her eyes.

"W-What...what?" Belial smirked and leaned even closer. Blossom shuddered and winced when she felt the pink-haired girl's lips brush against hers. She swallowed again and tried to pull back further. There was nowhere to run.

"Give me a kiss...and I won't tickle you anymore," Blossom blinked and stared back in wide-eyed disbelief. Belial continued to smile; she was speaking in her sweet voice again. Blossom flushed and looked away bashfully. She turned back and, with some effort, leaned forward and kissed Belial's cheek. Belial giggled and shook her head.

"Ah...ah...ah...that's not what I meant," Blossom screwed up her face and turned a darker shade of red. Belial stayed where she was, leaning on her hands over Blossom, staring down at her with an unreadable expression. A strand of her pink hair had fallen in front of her face, lightly tickling Blossom's neck. Blossom licked her lips and met Belial's gaze. Belial giggled.

"W-What...what do you mean?" Belial cocked her head in mock disapproval. Blossom lowered her eyes.

"I want a big...wet kiss on the lips...and I won't tickle you anymore," Blossom cringed as Belial pressed against her. Her sides hurt terribly and she felt completely humiliated; she could scarcely imagine giving into her demands would be more embarrassing than prolonged tickling.

"Alright fine…alright…" Blossom hesitated and screwed her eyes shut. Steeling her insides, she leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Belial's lips. Belial moaned blissfully and lightly touched her lips, staring at Blossom with the same strange look of interest. Blossom whimpered and pressed back against the support board, as far as she could go. Belial licked her lips and smiled down at Blossom, leering deviously.

"You're lips are so dry…do you want something to drink?" Blossom blinked and stared back in disbelief. She swallowed; her throat was painfully dry. Unable to find her voice, Blossom simply nodded and looked away. Belial giggled and followed her, keeping eye contact with Blossom.

"I'll give you something to drink…but you have to drink all of it…do you want some water?" Blossom nodded again. Her insides crawled, considering Belial's condition. She turned back and gasped, watching a jug of water appear, from thin air, in Belial's hand. She clenched her toes and fists, wishing she hadn't agreed to Belial's terms. It had to be at least a gallon of water, possibly more.

"Here you go…drink up," Belial flipped the cap off and held the jug to Blossom's lips. At first, she was allowed to take a few small sips. As she started to pull away, Belial grabbed Blossom roughly by her chin and forced her head back, turning the jug upside down and dumping it down her throat. Blossom sputtered and struggled, but Belial held her firmly, pinching her mouth shut around the opening.

"Nuh uh…you have to drink it all. That was the rule, ya'see…so you better start chugging," Blossom sputtered again. Her chest was on fire, but she kept sucking down the freezing cold water. Droplets trickled down her chin, over her hot skin. Painfully gulping down the last drop, Blossom gasped for air when Belial threw the jug aside, smiling sweetly. Blossom coughed violently, desperately trying to catch her breath. She hiccuped and shuddered, tears falling freely. Belial watched her, head cocked and following her watery eyes.

"Is that better?" Blossom glared at her, sucking in long, deep breaths of air. Belial just smirked, the sweetness rushing from her face to be replaced by malice. Blossom gasped and tugged weakly at her binds. Belial started to lift her nightgown again.

"You…you said…you said…" Belial clicked her tongue and wagged a finger in Blossom's face. Blossom moaned when Belial's warm fingers trailed up her stomach, to her bare chest.

"Oh, did you already forget, Sweetie?" Belial gently tickled the edges of Blossom's tender little breasts. Blossom squirmed and shuddered, falling into a different kind of laughter. She giggled and squealed and gasped. Her now very full stomach sloshed around uncomfortably.

"I'm a very good liar..." She whispered. Belial bit her lip and let go of Blossom's nightgown. She was absolutely thrilled at Blossom's blushing reaction. It was much more entertaining, more exciting than how the twins reacted. Tickling both of Blossom's newly developing breasts, she squeezed the puff with her legs to completely strip her of mobility.

"Not there! Please don't touch me there!" Blossom managed to get out. Every gentle stroke, teasing caress was like electricity shooting through her. She was torn on just how the touching made her feel, but she could still think well enough to reason that it was just more malicious tickling. And she wanted it to stop. Belial moaned and shifted awkwardly, lightening her strokes and tickling faster. Her fingers just barely brushed Blossom's skin.

For the Powerpuff leader, it was worse than having her ribs tickled before. At least then, it hadn't been so physiologically awkward. Blossom, now drained of all her energy, stopped tugging and merely laid back in frenzied giggles and peals of confused laughter. Belial felt Blossom's skin heating up; she was mesmerized by her heaving chest, her trembling body. Every drop of sweat streaking across her soft skin drew the most incredible patterns. Her fingers accidentally brushed against one of Blossom's nipples, surprisingly hardened. Blossom screamed and bucked, panting frantically and staring with wide-eyed horror at Belial.

"Don't...please don't do that...please...just stop," Belial blinked and stared at Blossom. She hadn't been expecting that reaction. Her look of surprise became the most evil look the heroine had ever seen. Belial chuckled and leaned close to Blossom, mocking curiosity splayed across her face.

"What...this?" She flicked Blossom's nipple again. The Powerpuff shrieked and nodded; her breaths were shallow and quick, so fast Belial could barely feel her chest moving. Belial grinned and licked her lips. Blossom shook her head, her mouth moving uselessly to try and beg for mercy. Belial nodded and laughed along with her victim when Blossom screamed in wild hysterics, new strength restored to her tired body. Belial tickled her nipples relentlessly following every minute movement to ensure that her target never escaped for even a second.

"Ooh...I like this, I should have tried this earlier," Belial teased. Blossom whipped around with all the power she could find. She screamed and bucked and trembled, every tickling scratch sending her into spasms. And the confusing feelings were at their worst—Blossom could swear she was being electrocuted by the frustrating sensation. Despite the tears streaming from her eyes, and the spittle rolling down her lips, Belial was sure she could do better.

"Let's play a game...guess what instrument I play," Belial tickling Blossom's nipples now with not just one finger each, but her first two fingers in an alternating plucking motion. She strummed every ounce of laughter she could find from her victim, closing her eyes and drowning in the musical bliss of her voice. She went faster and faster, the tips of her fingernails just barely stroking Blossom's nipples. The laughter pouring from Blossom's mouth was the melody, played over the chugging bassline Belial played on her chest. After a momentous eternity, Belial stopped. She sat back and watched Blossom with a lecherous leer. The Powerpuff was fighting to keep from bawling, hiccups and sobs wracking her tortured body.

"Was that fun?" Belial asked casually. Blossom shook her head furiously, mouthing 'No' over and over. Belial shook her head and leaned in close to Blossom again. The pink puff looked up and bit her lip, holding back more sobs. Belial licked her lips and lowered her voice.

"Give me a kiss..." Blossom sobbed and shook her head, glaring at Belial with all the fire in her being.

"N-No! You lied t-to me...you...I..." Belial sneered and turned her head to the door. She stroked her chin and turned back to Blossom with a smirk.

"Well then...maybe I should leave you here...I could always go tickle Buttercup. Oh, can't you imagine how much that would hurt her? She can barely breathe on her own; didn't she puncture one of her lungs? ya'see, I doubt she could even fight back...wouldn't that be horrible? Being tickled to death?" Blossom gasped and, much to Belial's shock, began to fight again. She was practically foaming at the mouth, overflowing with rage.

"Don't you dare touch her! Don't you even think about touching Buttercup!" All of the meekness that had been tickled into her was gone, with just the slightest mention of harming her sister. Belial was almost nervous, but quickly brushed that feeling away. She smirked and rested her cheek on her hand, leaning against Blossom so that their noses were touching.

"Well then...why don't I go upstairs and tickle Bubbles, hmm? I bet she wouldn't even be a challenge. I could make her cry so easily...I bet I could tickle her into saying anything, into doing anything. I could make her hate you. Because, after all, it would be your fault," Blossom went silent, slouching helplessly in her restraints. Belial could see that she'd won. She turned Blossom's head and looked her dead in the eye.

"So give me a kiss..." Blossom swallowed and shuddered fearfully. But she held onto the fire stirred at the threat on Buttercup's life. It was the only thing she had left.

"I'll only kiss you if you don't tickle me anymore," Belial rolled her eyes and glanced away. She shrugged and smirked—something about the look worried Blossom.

"Give me a kiss and I won't tickle your body anymore," Without a second thought, Blossom leaned forward and kissed Belial's lips. She caught the villain off guard, drawing a surprised gasp from her captor. Belial closed her eyes and returned the kiss, refusing to let Blossom pull away. When she finally did, the devious look in Belial's eyes was chilling.

"Your lips are dry...I think you need a drink..." Blossom gasped and her eyes widened. She shook her head, staring in horror as the same jug of water, now refilled, appeared in Belial's hand. Belial grabbed her chin and forced her head back.

"No! I'm not thirsty! I can't drink m-" Belial cut her off, forcing the spout into her mouth. Belial turned the jug upside down and snickered as Blossom sputtered and gasped, struggling to keep drinking. Water dribbled out the sides of her mouth and poured down her face if she tried to cough. Somehow, she managed to down the greater part of the jug, down to the last drop. Belial tittered evilly and threw the jug aside again, patting Blossom's painfully full stomach.

"See? I knew you could do it..." Blossom coughed and glared at Belial, watching her with growing apprehension. Belial climbed off Blossom and walked to the end of the table, to her feet. Blossom looked around, noting in awe that the warehouse was suddenly filled to the brim with crates of various shapes and sizes.

"Wh...th...this place was empty..." Blossom coughed and choked down the urge to throw up. Her stomach heaved angrily and sloshed around miserably. The waterlogged, energy drained puff felt a growing sense of horror when Belial sat on a crate, positioned so perfectly at her feet. Belial tsked and wagged a finger, leering at Blossom.

"Would you look at that...you got your feet all dirty," Blossom wiggled her feet and clenched her toes self-consciously. Her soles were coated with the dirt from the warehouse floor. Belial shrugged and laughed, Blossom watched a metal pail appear in thin air and drop down on the crate next to her attacker. Soapy water bounced into the air and landed back in the bucket. When she turned her eyes back to Belial, she was shocked—and disgusted—to recognize it as her own toothbrush.

"W-Where did you get that!?" Belial snickered and leaned forward, resting her chin on one hand. She twirled the toothbrush between her fingers and shook her head.

"Of all the questions to ask...that's what you would focus on?" Blossom swallowed and shuddered, trying to pull her feet away.

"Y-You said you weren't going to tickle me anymore..." Belial dipped the toothbrush in the soapy water and shrugged, swirling it around, clicking it against the metal sides.

"I said I wasn't going to tickle your body anymore...I never promised I wouldn't tickle your feet," Blossom whimpered and beat herself mentally. How had she missed that loophole? Blossom balled her fists and jumped when Belial gently grabbed one of her wiggling feet. She swallowed hard and tried to reason with herself. How ticklish could her feet actually be? Surely nothing could be even remotely as bad as...as what Belial had just been doing to her. Blossom flushed and looked down at her rumpled nightgown. She shrieked and bucked, foot thrashing wildly when the soapy toothbrush bristles scraped against her dirty sole.

To her horror, it was worse than she'd ever imagine. Blossom screamed and laughed, catching yet another fighting wind. Her assailant was only inspired by this reaction. She leered and brushed down to Blossom's heel, taking her time to get every speck of dust washed away. Belial took a brief moment to wet her cleaning utensil, then set out to clean her victim's arch.

Blossom screamed again, bucking and yelping wildly. The tickling was so intense, she almost seemed overly aware of her situation. She could feel every individual bristle flicking against her helpless sole. She could intimately feel every millimeter the brush scraped across the ball of her foot, every tiny prickle sliding down the side of her foot. It felt like a lifetime before Belial stopped and sat back to observe her work. She frowned and shrugged, moving to Blossom's other foot.

"I'll have to come back to get your toes," Belial muttered off-hand. Blossom whimpered and began to giggle the moment Belial snatched her other foot. Belial giggled in response and took a little extra time cleaning her other foot. She worked with short, staccato strokes. Blossom jerked violently with each quick stroke, squealing and laughing a deep belly laugh. The two fell into a kind of rhythm, almost like Blossom's shivers and jerks were a dance to Belial's machinations. Belial took sinister delight in returning to spots already well cleaned, just to watch Blossom squirm more.

"Well, I think I did a pretty good job, just gotta work on your toes..." Belial snapped her fingers, getting Blossom's attention. She wiggled her fingers and grinned, "Watch this...I promise, it's amazing," Belial pushed Blossom's feet back, lacing her fingers between the puff's toes. She smirked and narrowed her eyes. When she pulled her hands away, Blossom was horrified to find that she couldn't move her feet anymore. They were stuck, stretched taut, her toes pulled back and spread, as if something was holding them in place.

"How...how did you d-do that?" Belial licked her finger and gave Blossom a seductive wink. Blossom trembled, her eyes falling on the evil toothbrush hovering near her defenseless, now immobile toes.

"You can call it a talent," Blossom wanted to respond, to inquire further explanation. She wanted to say a lot of things, but the only sound she could utter was a painful scream of laughter. Belial brushed her big toe, across the tip, the sides, the pad, even the fleshy underside, with a lazy sloppiness. Her target couldn't even move, why hurry? It only got worse from there, as the brush slid between her toes and up the next one, repeating the slow and agonizing process. Without missing a beat, and without making a snappy comment, Belial shifted to her other foot. Blossom didn't even have time to catch her breath before succumbing. For her part, Belial worked with an expert delicacy, taking care to not miss a spot on her victim's adorable feet. Her work finally completed, she sat back and just admired the incredibly ticklish extremities.

"Are...are you done?" Blossom asked, praying she didn't sound too hopeful. She wanted to return to a professional distance, but Blossom the Superheroine felt light years away from Blossom the Captive. Belial sighed happily and tossed the toothbrush over her shoulder. When it clacked against the floor it vanished, with the pail of water. Blossom mentally sighed with relief; she had worried Belial would make her drink the soapy water too.

"Sweetie...we're just now getting to the whole reason I came! Your feet are amazing..." Belial smirked and cracked her knuckles. Blossom whimpered, realizing that her feet were still completely immobilized by the invisible force Belial had put on them.

"Let's see just how ticklish they really are!" All theatrics gone, Belial stroked her fingers across Blossom's soles. She drowned in the puffs gasp and frantic giggles. The giggles escalated as she scratched across her heels, slowly up to the tips of her toes and back down. Belial hurried back to her toes, scratching the spaces between each spread toe. Blossom screamed and shivered, wiggling her legs and flailing her hands. She thrashed her head back and forth, more panicked laughter forcing its way from her lungs when Belial's fingers spidered over her arches.

Belial was impressed, she hadn't imagined she'd get the pink puff to laugh harder than when she tickled her chest. But her senses hadn't lied, the red-head's feet were more ticklish. Deliciously more ticklish, she thought with a grin. So quickly the hero was in tears, and trembling helplessly. But still...Belial noted with a frown, it still wasn't enough. Oh sure, the tickling was terrible. As her fingers skittered across her enemy's toes once again she managed to force out another scream and fall back into a steady stream of hysterical laughter. But, she knew that it wasn't heavy enough yet.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Belial stopped tickling and gently rubbed Blossom's feet. Slowly, the puff settled down, gasping for air and fighting off residual giggles. Though she smiled to maintain her position of power, Belial's mind was racing. Blossom was defeated, but she wasn't broken yet. She wouldn't be broken until...that moment. Belial grinned gleefully. So she had contradicted herself, but that moment was one of her favorite parts.

"A b-break? C-can't it be over?" Blossom whimpered, speaking barely above a whisper. Her throat was sore, her chest and sides were aching. And she was starting to feel an uncomfortable pressure in her lower belly. She swallowed and pressed her legs together. Belial tapped her chin, trying to think quickly. Needing a moment's reprieve, but not wanting to let her target get too comfortable, Belial recalled a game she loved to play with the twins.

"Oh no...we're going to play a game though. I think you might like it," Blossom moaned and swallowed, wishing she could wipe the sweat out of her eyes. Belial flicked her wrist and a stiff feather appeared in her hand. She leaned forward on the stocks and twirled it around, giving Blossom a childish grin.

"Feathers don't tickle so bad, so, ya'see, this game should be easier for you. You just have to not laugh...sounds simple, huh?" Blossom bit her lip and started to respond. Belial cut her off with a snicker, "Yeah...if you can beat my sister's record, I'll let you go," Blossom closed her mouth and stared at Belial. She lowered her head and mumbled. Belial perked up.

"What's that?" She asked excitedly.

"W...what's the record?" Blossom mumbled, her cheeks heating up. Belial grinned and sat back, eying her feet.

"Fifteen seconds," Blossom swallowed. Apparently feathers still tickled quite a bit if Belial's sister only lasted a few seconds. Belial giggled and looked up with an impish grin.

"Unless you wanna play easy mode, then you gotta beat my other sister's record," Blossom blinked and licked her lips. She opened her mouth and Belial responded without missing a beat, "Six seconds," Blossom's face paled. Belial grinned and shrugged, turning her attention back to Blossom's feet. The Powerpuff girl could only pray the two sisters were more ticklish than she was. Belial glanced back at Blossom, who clenched her fists and grit her teeth. Taking this as a sign to begin, Belial casually brushed the feather against Blossom's sole. Neither one expected the reaction.

Belial screamed and dropped the feather, taken aback by Blossom's bloodcurdling wail and eruption of laughter. She stared with a growing smile, nearly salivating. The evil girl laughed and picked up her feather, grinning at Blossom.

"Not even a second? Are you serious?" Blossom shook her head violently, staring with the most desperate look she'd managed the entire time. For the first time, Belial could see that Blossom was completely under her power.

"Don't...please don't do that again. Tickle...tickle me with my toothbrush or your fingers or anything, but please don't do that again!" Belial's grin broadened with every word, until it became the darkest, most vile look Blossom had ever encountered. Without a second thought, she brushed the feather against Blossom's foot again. The reaction was the exact same.

"Oh no...I think we just discovered your panic button! Oh...oh, oh! This is going to be so much fun!' Blossom screamed her eyes wide open and horror-struck with every gentle brush of the feather. It was the exact opposite of how Belial had described it. The gentle quill was easily the worst feeling Blossom had ever experienced in all her years of crime fighting. So soft, delicate, so light, but so blisteringly maddening. Anything would be a better fate than enduring this new brand of torture.

Belial stroked the feather with a painter's grace, tracing the edges of her soft foot, filling in the sole, painting the heel and shading her arch. Belial slid the feather in and out of her toes, even paused to lightly flick the pointed tip across the fleshy pads of Blossom's toes. Every tiny flick and stroke elicited absolute torment from her victim. The Powerpuff screamed and howled with downright painful laughter. All from a single feather stroking her sole. The most painful detail being her utter immobility. Blossom's toes couldn't even twitch held by Belial's mysterious power. Blossom clenched her legs tightly together and thrashed back and forth. She prayed the building sensation wasn't what she knew it was.

"Oh you're going to break...just gotta take extreme measures," Belial mumbled, breathing heavily and grinning almost as much as her captive. Just when she couldn't imagine the torture getting worse, Blossom's scream shattered the glass windows of the warehouse, her powers leaving her in one bellow that took out half the lights in the facility. Belial stroked the second feather wildly across Blossom's other foot, paralleling the delicate, slow strokes she took on her first target. The moment the second feather joined, Blossom discovered just why Belial had forced her to drink so much water.

"Stop! Please! Please stop I have to pee! Please let me go!" Belial snickered and sawed the feathers between Blossom's toes. Humiliation, the likes of which she hadn't even imagined possible, bubbled up in Blossom's heart as she felt her control slipping. Every breathless scream of laughter forced her one step closer to that unforgivable edge. But there was no way to fight it. Every agonizingly slow stroke across her sole, every brush against her toes, every flick across her arches drilled away at her mind, and ruined her strength.

"Oh I know...that's part of the game," Belial retorted with a mean snicker. Blossom screamed and began to cry harder, embarrassment flooding her tickle-hazed mind. She lost control of her bladder, shamefully wetting herself. Just when she thought it was over, another electrical surge of ticklish agony squeezed more out of her. Belial giggled and watched the invincible Powerpuff girl break. She was so absorbed in her game, she didn't notice the soft footsteps padding closer. It wasn't until a blast of white energy slammed into her side that Belial realized the two weren't alone anymore. Belial stepped back, feathers vanishing into thin air.

"Well what's this...the corpse decided to rise and shine?" Buttercup stumbled through the warehouse, green eyes narrowed in absolute fury. Belial noted, with a frown that it was the same look Blossom had worn earlier. She sneered and stood up straight, looking back at Blossom. She was beaten, she'd accomplished what she came for. The evil girl clenched her fists and snarled. She wasn't ready to be done, but if that was the case...she didn't have time to play with a new Powerpuff girl. She turned back to Buttercup with a smug grin. Buttercup watched the pink-haired villain vanish in a veil of darkness. Panting, barely able to stand, but with nothing but concern for her sister, Buttercup stumbled toward Blossom.

"Blossom?" The pink puff struggled to hold on, but though the tickling had stopped, she hadn't stopped sinking into a deep darkness. Staring at herself in disgust, Blossom fell back against the board and slipped into merciful unconsciousness.


	5. Every Breath You Take

**Re: Caught in the Crossfire**

**By Kevin Ivy**

**Author's Note: This will be the first of several new chapters that were completely absent in the original writing. Any chapter marked with an asterisk is completely new. This chapter introduces a subplot that was very rushed in the original writing. I feel this will make it both believable and more dynamic.**

**V: Every Breath You Take***

Belial appeared in the deserted Townsville streets, grinning and nearly bursting with excitement. The sky was pitch black, no hint of the impending dawn, and the air was a fresh and warm with all the grace of the late Summer. The leaves weren't quite ready to turn yet, but one could almost smell Autumn in the distance. For Belial, the night was near electric.

"I still can't believe how...absolutely perfect she was. Oh, I'll have to get back at Buttercup for interrupting us, and just when it was getting good!" Belial muttered to herself, cheery grin tugging at her lips. Though she was frustrated having her time cut short, it had got her adrenaline rushing. There was no way she was going to be sleeping any time soon; going home now would be pointless.

"Could always play with the twins..." She thought out loud, strolling the streets at a leisurely pace. They had already been discovered, there was no need for subtly anymore. And hadn't her dad told her to have fun?

Belial whistled and stuffed her hands in her pockets, looking around thoughtfully. Playing with the twins was always a fun pass-time—few things in life were more enjoyable than making the little brats suffer—but after her time with Blossom, she feared it would almost be...disappointing. Blossom had been everything she'd ever imagined. And she'd imagined a lot in the last five years, watching and waiting for her chance to finally play with the Powerpuff leader.

She was quite easily the prettiest girl the Malebol had ever seen. She was powerful and she was a genius. Belial grinned and closed her eyes. Both traits, which paled in comparison to herself, she thought with a shrug. But those things, as meager as they were in the light of Belial herself, absolutely attracted her to the puff. Watching her pretty face twist in agony, tears streaking her bright red cheeks...Belial shivered and almost went back for more.

"We'll have to do it again..." She trailed off, mind working at a devious rate. The Malebol stroked her chin and turned back in the direction of the Utonium Chateaus. How would the other two stack up to their auburn-haired sister? If they were anything like the twins...they'd be every bit as exciting and fulfilling as the leader had been. Belial's thoughtful look melted into a predatory, hungry grin. She'd tickled the twins at the same time before, why not the Powerpuff Girls?

"Three at the same time..." She whispered, giggling with spastic glee. The very concept gave her chills. Now there was no way she could rest easily until she got a taste of that forbidden fruit. Belial licked her lips and started back toward the girls' home. She stopped and spun on a dime, tensing and glaring at the dark night around her. Her ears perked up and her ultra-super senses trained in on the intruder to her midnight stroll.

"Come out already...I know you're there," Belial crossed her arms and glared, watching the shady figure step out of the shadows, moving like a frightened dear. Her eyes were wide, trembling behind the veil of her gray hair. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, possibly the only method of defense she could think up. Belial narrowed her eyes; in theory, the Levia in front of her was no threat. Past experience proved that hypothesis wasn't always correct.

"So...you're the spy?" Blaze stared back in horror, but slowly nodded, eyes falling to the ground. Belial dropped her arms and shrugged, stalking toward her enemy. She kept her ears ready, her power high. The Leviat Twins could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to ambush her. Belial paused and put her hand to her chin, considering that very thought. Blaze jumped when the Malebol bust out laughing and shaking her head.

'I'm giving them far too much credit...they're way too stupid to actually plan something,' She thought with a wry grin. Her nerves soothed, Belial turned to Blaze with a malicious leer. This one could possibly be the distraction she'd been looking for. Blaze watched, anxiety etched on her partially hidden face. As Belial approached, Blaze wrung her hands and rubbed her fingers together. Belial stopped just inches from the smaller girl; the Malebol unconsciously rubbed her back, noticing the Levia's fidgeting hands.

"How long have you been following me?" The question seemed to jump from Belial's lips and startled Blaze. The smaller girl gasped and took a step back, swallowing and averting her eyes. Belial put her hands on her hips and sneered, "What's wrong? Don't you know how to talk?" Blaze flushed and kept her eyes on the sidewalk.

"Um..." Belial grinned and chuckled softly. It seemed that Blaze hadn't changed at all in the three years since they had last seen one another. Belial's lower back tingled uncomfortably. Belial leaned forward, titling her head to get a look of Blaze's face. The timid Levia was chewing on her lip.

"You've not changed at all..." She said out loud. Blaze gasped and looked up, cheeks turning bright red. Belial smirked and crossed her arms, taking a step closer. At the nearly non-existent distance the height difference was intimidating; Blaze barely came up to Belial's nose. Blaze swallowed nervously, unable to look away from Belial's condescending leer.

"Is...that...bad?" She managed to stutter, her voice barely the ghost of a whisper. Belial looked away and put her hands in her pockets. As long as she stayed like this, it couldn't be a better thing.

"How long have you been following me?" She repeated, a bit more menace in her voice. Blaze looked down and bit her lip.

"Since you came to Earth," Belial mulled over the answer, tilting her head from side to side. Everything clicked into place and she venomously glared at Blaze.

"You're the one who saw me...you're the one who figured out we were here in Townsville," Blaze wilted under the accusatory tone, but slowly nodded. She'd gone pale as a sheet and refused to even look at Belial. The older girl noticed the shiver run through her body. Belial furrowed her brow in confusion. Blaze was able to follow her, on more than one occasion, and go completely undetected. Why she would follow Belial was easy to figure out; why she didn't call her sisters was another story.

"So...why are you still alone? Did you watch me the whole time I was with the Powerpuff girl?" Blaze's lips twitched and a different shade of blush crossed her cheeks. She nodded, a bit too eagerly, Belial noted.

"Yeah..." Blaze whispered, the smile evident in her voice. The conversation just seemed to get more confusing as more questions were asked and answered. The city was chillingly still, almost impossibly quiet. The pale full moon made its slow trek across the sky, through a sea of twinkling stars. The moonlight complimented the pale streetlights cast on the scene. A gentle breeze blew by; Belial watched Blaze's dress flutter around her legs.

"Now that I know you're there, you won't be able to follow me anymore," Belial stated, her stern tone getting lost in the mystery shrouding their interaction. At the edge of her memory, Belial could smell burning fabric. She rubbed her back again. Blaze looked up with an almost disappointed gleam in her dull eyes.

"I...have to," She finally said. The Malebol snickered and shook her head, leaning closer to the Levia's face. Their noses touched, and the latter stopped breathing. The former took a deep breath, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"That almost sounds...like a challenge," Blaze's eyes trembled; it was the only way she could react. Belial's stare had her paralyzed...quite literally. Blaze was completely immobilized, unable to so much as flinch when her enemy gently ran a finger across her cheek, down from her ear and across her neck. She was allowed only the shiver that ran through her body and the breathless sigh that slipped through her lips. Belial narrowed her eyes and smirked, patting Blaze's cheek mockingly.

"And frankly, Sweetheart, you don't have what it takes to beat me," Blaze gasped, mobility returning when Belial turned away and walked into the glow of the street lamp. She turned back, with a curious frown. Blaze's eyes followed her devoutly. Something in the Levia's glance stirred Belial; a strange sensation with which she wasn't familiar.

"You never told me...why didn't you call your sisters to come and defeat me? That's your job...right?" Belial asked, trying to pierce the unreadable air of fragility keeping her from reading Blaze. The smaller girl frowned and looked down, the strange blush from before returning.

"...I didn't want to," Belial clenched her fists and glared, her lips pulling back in a snarl. Blaze looked up and found herself frozen again, her dim red eyes locked with Belial's icy blue ones.

"Why? That's your job! Why else would you follow me around?" Belial spat angrily. She hated feeling so confused...hated not knowing the answer. She narrowed her eyes and Blaze flinched with notable discomfort. The silence between them was palpable. Belial growled and turned away. Blaze slouched and rubbed her arm nervously. She noticed Belial walking away and mumbled a response. Belial stopped and looked back at her.

"What was that?" She asked, an incredulous look on her face. Blaze looked at her again and bit her lip.

"I guess...I just like being...being around you," Belial stared and flinched uncomfortably. Her back tingled, and a faint memory flashed in her mind; a pained look, a gasp of horror, neither of which belonged to her. She wanted to ask more, wanted to know more. There was no reason anyone would want to be around her, least of all one of her arch-nemeses. She heard tires coming around the corner and looked away. Blaze watched Belial disappear in a veil of darkness and stared at the spot where she once stood, frowning. Just as the car came over the hill, she was gone in a flash of darkness.

The car rolled by quietly, giving the silent night an urban charm. The stars twinkled, bidding goodbye to the setting moon. In the far east, the sun began to peak over the horizon. A calm wind rolled over the hills and through the skyscrapers. Dew kissed leaves still waited, not quite ready to turn. Autumn was on the horizon, but Summer wasn't done just yet.


End file.
